I 


REPORT 


SOME  EUROPEAN  CITIES 


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in  2017  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign  Alternates 


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^3  8 


REPORT 

OF 

JOHN  E.  FITZGERALD, 

RAPID"  TRANSIT  COMMISSIONER,  . 

ON  THE 

Transportation  of  Passengers  in  and 
around  the  Cities  of  Europe, 

MADE  TO  THE 

RAPID  TRANSIT  COMMISSION  OF  THE  STATE  OF  MASSACHUSETTS  AND  THE 
CITY  OF  BOSTON,  OCTOBER  i6,  1891. 


p 


REPORT;; 

OF 


JOHN  E.  FITZGERALD  TO  THE  RAPID 
TRANSIT  COMMISSIONERS. 


Boston,  Oct.  16,  1891. 

Gentlemen,  — The  undersigned,  a member  of  your  Com- 
mission, having  visited  various  cities  in  Europe  in  accord- 
ance with  a vote  passed  by  you,  for  the  purpose  of  collecting 
information  as  to  the  facilities  afforded  for  rapid  transit  either 
by  horse  cars  or  steam,  elevated  or  underground,  herewith 
reports  the  result  of  his  investigation. 

First,  he  begs  to  present  the  horse-railroad  and  omnibus 
systems  of  Great  Britain,  which  are  substantially  the  same 
as  in  the  larger  cities  of  Europe. 

The  Street-Railway  and  Omnibus  Systems  of  Great 
Britain  and  the  Continent. 

The  street-railway  cars  of  Great  Britain  and  the  continent 
which  1 have  seen  ' are  not  brought  to  that  perfection  in 
style  which  has  been  attained  with  us.  The  cars  are  heavy 
and  behind  the  times,  if  the  horse-cars  of  Boston  be  taken  as 
a standard.  There  are  usually  seats  on  all  cars  and  omni- 
buses outside,  much  like  the  double-deckers  in  use  some  years 
ago  on  the  Highland  line.  Six  companies  in  Great  Britain 
and  Ireland  operate  over  fifteen  miles  of  double-track  roads. 
These  are  in  Belfast,  Dublin,  Edinburgh,  Glasgow,  Liver- 
pool, and  London  ; and  of  these  cities  the  lines  in  Glasgow  and 
Liverpool  are  owned  by  the  city  and  leased  to  a company. 


the  company  equipping  and  the  city  taking  care  of  the  lines. 
This  double  responsibility  has,  I am  informed,  been  the 
cause  of  a great  deal  of  friction  between  the  city  and  the  rail- 
road company  running  the  lines.  The  number  of  miles  of 
horse-railroads  iir  oTeat  Britain  is  about  1,000,  representing 
a capital  of  over  £15,000,000,  of  which  400  is  double  track. 
They  carried  last  half-year  over  350,000,000  of  passengers, 
the  North  Metropolitan  at  London  alone  carrying  about 
36,000,000  of  these. 

Their  net  receipts  after  all  expenses  was  about  £500,000, 
so  that  it  will  be  seen  the  average  percentage  on  the  capital 
invested  in  street-car  management  does  not  exceed  three  per 
cent.,  and  in  some  cases  falling  much  below  this. 

Herewith  I give  a table  showing  the  number  of  passengers 
and,  the  average  price  per  passenger,  together  with  the 
average  profit  per  passenger,  on  eight  of  the  largest  street- 
railways  in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  for  the  half-year  end- 
ing June  30,  1891,  and  compiled  for  private  circulation:  — 


•No.  Passengers. 

Average  Fare. 

Net  Profit 
per  Passenger. 

Belfast  

7,754,320 

8,251,440 

7,398,160 

1.14 

0.18 

Dublin 

1.69 

0.33 

Edinburgh 

1.60 

0.20 

Glasgow 

25,746,723 

16,592,443 

30,527,176 

12,174,904 

35,615,027 

1 .92 

0.12 

Eiverpool  

1.98 

0.11 

Eondoii  

' 1.18 

0.15 

TiOtifloii  St, 

1.24 

0.18 

N.  London 

1.31 

0.25 

From  this  table  it  will  be  seen  that  the  average  rate  of 
fare  for  every  passenger  who  rides  on  the  cars  of  these 
largest  companies  in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  does  not  ex- 
ceed three  cents  per  passenger,  though  the  fares  vary  from 
two  cents  to  eight  cents,  according  to  the  distance  run, 
wdiich  is  from  one  to  eight  miles.  The  table  given  above  is 
accurate,  for  it  was  prepared  and  given  me  by  the  Assistant 
General  Manager  (Mr.  Tresilian)  of  the  Dublin  LTnited 


7 


Tramway  Company.  It  also  shows  the  enormous  amount  of 
penny  travel  on  all  these  roads,  as  compared  with  the  long- 
distance travel.  In  connection  with  this  matter  I was  in- 
formed by  Mr.  Anderson,  Manager  of  the  Dublin  United 
Tramway  Company,  that  the  penny-fare  system  for  short 
distances  increased  travel  very  much.  He  is  a man  of  forty 
years’  experience  in  the  omnibus  and  tramway  systems.  He 
said:  "We  have  steadily  decreased  fares  since  the  insti- 
tution of  the  tramway  system  in  1881  : the  result  has  been  a 
great  increase  in  our  short-distance  travel.  Our  minimum  fare 
in  1881  was  threepence,  whereas  to-day  it  is  only  a penny. 

" The  number  of  passengers  carried  during  the  half-year 
ending  June,  1881,  was  4,706,000,  whereas  the  number  for 
the  corresponding  period  of  1891  was  8,251,000.  The 
average  fare  in  1881  was  2.45  pence:  in  1891,  1.69  pence. 
We  have  found  that  our  system  of  low  fares  and  no  trans- 
fer tickets  pays,  and  we  reduce  hires  wherever  we  can. 
Our  motto  is,  ' Cheap  fares  and  no  transfer  tickets.’  To  give 
you  an  idea  how  the  low-fare  system  has  increased,  I give 
the  following  statistics  from  our  road  : — 

" In  the  half-year  ending  June,  1886,  penny 
passengers  were  carried  . 

" For  same  time  in  1891  .... 

"In  the  half-year,  June,  1886,  twopenny  pas- 
sengers were  carried  .... 

"Twopenny  passengers  for  same  period  in 

1891  . . 

"No.  of  threepenny  passengers,  half-year, 

June,  1886  ...... 

"No.  of  threepenny  passengers,  half-year, 

1891 


2.173.000 

3.695.000 

2.926.000 

3.089.000 

1.623.000 

1.296.000 


"It  will  be  seen  that  this  is  a large  incrc^ase  in  travel, 
owing  to  low  rates,  though  our  city  has  not  increased  in 
wealth  or  populati(>n  during  that  time,  but  quite  the  con- 
trary.” 


8 


Another  excellent  feature  which  I noticed  is  the  parcel 
system,  by  which  the  tramway  company  collects  parcels  at 
offices  designated  by  them,  and  delivers  the  same  at  any  part 
of  the  city,  or  at  any  place  one  mile  distant  from  the  end  of 
any  route,  at  prices  varying  from  a penny  to  eightpence,  up 
to  fifty-six  pounds.  This  has  proved  a source  of  revenue  to 
the  company,  as  well  as  a great  convenience  to  the  citizens, 
especially  when  one  considers  that  the  express-company 
system  in  vogue  with  us  is  not  much  copied  in  European 
countries. 


London. 

On  the  ofreat  thoroug^hfares  of  London,  no  horse- 
cars  are  allowed,  but  omnibuses  take  their  place,  and 
as  a result  the  blockades,  which  are  so  frequent  in 
our  cities,  especially  in  Boston,  are  seldom  seen,  though 
on  those  streets  there  is  a regular  up-and-down  travel 
of  omnibuses  and  hansom  cabs  as  closely  packed  to- 
gether as  carriages  in  a public  procession.  They  observe 
the  laws  of  the  road,  and  the  uplifting  of  a policeman’s 
hand  is  obeyed  as  instantaneously  as  the  command  of 
an  officer  in  a well-drilled  military  company.  The  Strand 
and  Fleet  street  are  much  like  our  Washington  street  in 
width  and  general  appearance,  indeed  more  so  than  any 
other  part  of  London,  or  any  street  in  any  city  I visited. 
It  is  well  policed.  For  instance,  at  the  junction  of  the 
Strand  and  Wellington  street,  which  would  correspond  in 
its  general  travel  to  Washington  and  Summer  and  Winter 
streets,  there  are  four  policemen  constantly  on  duty,  to  avoid 
collisions  and  give  each  person  and  vehicle  a fair  oppor- 
tunity to  })ass.  I went  to  the  Bow-street  police-station,  and 
there  had  an  interview  with  Chief-Inspector  Creswell 
Wells,  who  explained  to  me  the  method  by  which  blockades 
are  avoided  and  travel  facilitated  on  those  streets.  By  the 
Metropolitan  Streets  Act,  which  applies  to  the  business 
thoroughfares  of  London,  no  person  can  from  ten  A.M.  to 


9 


six  P.M.  remove  ashes,  dust,  etc.,  drive  cattle,  load  or  un- 
load coal,  beer,  safes,  or  heavy  material,  or  drive  through 
those  thoroughfares  any  vehicle  containing  timber  thirty-five 
feet  in  length  or  projecting  eight  feet  behind.  The  Strand 
contains  more  theatres  than  any  street  in  London,  which  are 
close  to  each  other,  and  yet  their  system  of  regulation  is  so 
complete  that  little  inconvenience  is  experienced.  To  form 
an  idea  of  the  travel  on  the  Strand,  I give  the  following 
figures,  which  I copied  from  the  Inspector’s  books.  By 
actual  calculation  there  passed  at  a given  point  on  the 
Strand  between  two  and  three  o’clock  P.M.,  April  12,  1890, 
835  cabs,  264  omnibuses,  capable  of  holding  26  passengers, 
153  vans,  12  two-horse  carts,  43  carriages,  15  two-horse 
carts,  and  18  trucks,  a total  of  1,340  vehicles  of  every  kind. 
From  six  A.M.  to  twelve  midnight,  14,637  vehicles  passed 
the  same  point,  and  during  the  same  time  84,812  foot- 
passengers.  Yet,  notwithstanding  this  enormous  travel, 
there  is  very  little  friction,  because  of  the  excellent  police 
supervision,  stringent  laws  against  loading  and  unloading 
heavy  teams  during  business  hours,  and  the  absence  of  horse- 
cars  on  these  streets.  A little  of  the  Strand  system  applied  to 
Boston  would  help  check  the  congestion  and  blockades  on 
Washin<rton  and  Tremont  streets  durino:  business  hours. 
As  I said  before,  in  none  of  the  cities  which  I have  visited 
did  the  horse-car  come  up  to  ours,  either  in  Dublin,  Liver- 
pool, London,  Paris,  Brussels,  Cologne,  or  Berlin.  They 
all  seem  to  be  built  on  the  same  heavy,  lumbering  pattern^ 
A word,  though,  may  not  be  out  of  place  as  to 

The  Laws  Governing  Tramways  in  Great  Britain  and 

Ireland. 

Great  Britain  is  under  a general  law  known  as  the  Tram- 
ways Act  of  1870,  being  " An  Act  to  facilitate  the  construc- 
tion and  to  regulate  the  working  of  tramways.” 

The  persons  authorized  to  construct  under  the  act  are 


10 


(1)  The  local  authorities.  (2)  Any  persons,  person,  corpora- 
tion, or  company,  with  the  consent  of  the  local  authorities. 
The  method  bj'  which  they  proceed  is  as  follows  : Applica- 
tion to  build  a horse-railroad  is  first  made  to  the  Board  of 
Trade,  and  when  such  application  is  approved  the  Board  of 
Trade  causes  a bill  to  be  introduced  into  Parliament.  When 
such  bill  passes,  the  promoters  build  under  the  general  law 
and  are  governed  by  it.  No  application  shall  be  considered 
by  the  Board  of  Trade  where  it  is  proposed  to  build  a road 
where,  for  a distance  of  thirty  feet  or  upwards,  a less  space 
than  9 ft.  6 in.  intervenes  between  the  outside  of  the  foot- 
path  on  either  side  of  the  road  and  the  nearest  rail  of  the 
tramway,  if  one-third  of  the  owners  or  occupiers  of  houses 
along  the  line  dissent.  If  a city  or  town  builds  or  acquires 
possession  of  a tramway  it  cannot  run  cars  and  charge  tolls, 
but  must  lease  the  road  to  some  person  or  corporation  for  a 
period  not  exceeding  twenty-one  years,  and  with  the  ap- 
proval of  the  Board  of  Trade.  Every  road  built  must  be  of 
a gauge  4 ft.  in.,  unless  otherwise  allowed,  and  the  rails 
must  be  so  laid  that  the  upper  surface  must  be  on  a level 
with  the  street-paving.  Hence  every  street-railroad  in 
Great  Britain  does  not  destroy  the  smoothness  of  the  road- 
surface,  as  is  the  case  too  often  with  us.  Another  good 
provision  also  is,  that  they  shall  not  break  up  continuously 
more  than  one  hundred  yards  at  a time,  and  must  have  a 
quarter  of  a mile  between  each  break. 

They  are  also  compelled  to  keep  in  thorough  repair  all 
space  between  the  rails,  and  eighteen  inches  on  the  outside  ; 
and  where  double  tracks  are  laid,  they  must  also  keep  in 
repair  the  space  between  the  double  tracks.  If  after  a tram- 
way is  in  operation  for  three  years  the  city  authorities  or 
twenty  tax-payers  complain  to  the  Board  of  Trade  that  such 
road  does  not  give  proper  accommodations,  the  Board  is 
authoi’ized  to  allow  another  person  or  corporation  to  run 
cars  over  the  road  for  not  less  than  one  year  or  more  than 
three  years. 


11 


After  any  railroad  has  been  in  operation  twenty-one  years 
the  city  or  town  authorities  may  buy  the  same,  and  if  any 
disagreement  as  to  price  exists,  the  Board  of  Trade  appoints 
a competent  engineer  as  referee.  But,  as  I have  before  said, 
the  town  authorities  must  re-lease,  and  this  generally  is 
given  to  the  original  company,  as  in  the  cases  of  Liverpool 
and  Glasgow.  The  County  Council  of  London  has  given 
notice  to  the  London  Street-Railroad  that  they  intend  to  take 
possession  of  that  road  under  the  Act  of  1870  ; but  they 
doubtless  will  re-lease  it  back  to  that  company,  as  under  the 
act  they  cannot  run  the  cars  themselves,  though  they  will 
take  care  of  the  tracks.  The  town  of  Birmingham  took 
advantage  of  the  act,  and  built  tramways  in  that  town,  but 
leased  them  to  different  companies  who  run  by  electricity, 
steam,  cable,  and  horse  power;  and  soon  that  citj^  will  de- 
cide which  of  these  is  best  for  Birmingham,  and  compel  the 
several  companies  to  adopt  the  system  decided  upon  by  the 
City  Council. 

The  Birmingham  Tramways,  and  the  Laws  Governing 
Tramways  Generally  in  Great  Britain. 

The  construction,  etc.,  of  tramways  is  governed,  in  the  first 
place,  by  the  terms  of  "The  Tramways  Act,  1870”  (33  and 
34  Vic.,  chap.  78)  ; and,  secondly,  by  the  Special  Act,  in- 
corporating and  putting  into  force  the  Provisional  Order, 
which  has  to  be  obtained  to  authorize  the  construction  of 
any  particular  route  or  routes,  and  which  generally  applies 
only  to  the  particular  routes  therein  specified. 

Tramways  Act,  1870. 

The  Act  of  1870  applies  to  all  tramways  constructed 
since  that  date  ; it  is  divided  into  three  parts. 

Part  I.  contains  the  details  of  the  mode  of  procedure  by 
which  promoters  may  obtain  a Provisional  Order,  and  con- 
ferring large  powers  upon  the  Board  of  Trade  in  the  matter 


12 


of  the  form  and  general  contents  of  the  order.  Certain 
directions  are  given  as  to  the  nature  of  the  contents  of  the 
order,  its  publication  after  it  has  been  settled  by  the  Board 
of  Trade,  and  its  subsequent  confirmation  by  an  Act  of 
Parliament  (the  "Special  Act”),  without  which  an  order 
can  have  no  force.  In  this  part  of  the  act  are  also  defined 
the  conditions  under  which  a " Local  Authority,”  such  as  the 
corporation,  may  obtain  an  order  for  the  construction  of 
tramways,  regulations  as  to  leasing  them  afterwards,  and 
powers  for  raising  the  money  to  defray  the  expenses  of 
obtaining  the  order  and  for  carrying  it  into  effect. 

Parts  II.  and  III.  are  to  be  incorporated  with  and  form 
part  of  every  Provisional  Ordei%  except  in  so  far  as  they 
may  be  excepted  or  varied  by  the  said  order.  Part  II. 
relates  to  construction  ; gives  power  to  break  up  the  streets, 
and  to  lay  tramways  over  bridges ; defines  the  extent  of 
the  roadway  the  owners  of  the  tramway  shall  keep  in  repair ; 
saving  clauses  as  to  the  protection  of  gas  and  water  pipes  and 
sewers  ; and  provides  for  the  settlements  of  disputes,  etc. 

Part  III.  contains  general  provisions  as  to  the  carriages 
to  be  used  on  the  tramways ; directs  that  the  motive  power 
to  be  used  shall  be  prescribed  in  the  Special  Act,  and  if 
no  motive  power  be  prescribed,  then  animal  power  only 
shall  be  used ; regulations  for  licenses,  tolls,  offences, 
power  to  make  by-laws,  insolvency  of  promoters,  purchase 
of  tramways,  abandonment  and  making  good  the  streets,  and 
various  other  miscellaneous  provisions. 

Under  the  powers  of  this  act,  several  companies  have 
obtained  Provisional  Orders,  and  the  corporation  have  also 
obtained  three  orders. 

Corporation  Orders. 

The  Corporation  Order,  1872,  authorized  the  construction 
of  tramways  in  many  streets  in  Birmingham,  and  the  Order 
of  1874  extended  the  time  for  carrying  out  the  works. 
Under  this  order  the  tramways  from  Hockley  to  Colmore 


13 


row  and  Paradise  street,  and  thence  to  the  borough 
boundary  in  Bristol  road,  were  constructed.  The  Corporation 
Order,  1885,  authorized  the  reconstruction  of  these  tramways, 
the  altering  of  the  gauge  from  four  feet  eight  and  one-half 
inches  to  three  feet  six  inches,  and  took  power  for  working 
the  tramways  "by  steam-power,  or  any  mechanical  power, 
including  haulage,  by  means  of  wire  ropes  or  cables  placed 
underground  and  worked  by  stationary-engine  power.” 
Under  this  order  the  Hockley  tramway  is  now  worked  by 
cables,  and  the  Bristol-road  route  by  electric  accumulator 
cars. 

Other  Orders. 

The  principal  of  the  other  orders  that  have  been  obtained 
for  the  construction  of  tramways  in  Birmingham  are  : — 

Birmingham  and  Aston  Orders,  1880  and  1882. 

Birmingham  and  Western  Districts  Orders,  1881  and  1883. 
Birmingham  and  Suburban  Orders,  1882. 

North  Birmingham  Orders,  1884. 

Birmingham  Central  Orders,  1886. 

Certain  other  orders  have  also  been  obtained,  but  the 
powers  conferred  by  them  as  to  construction  have  not  been 
exercised. 

By  the  Act  of  1870,  no  order  applying  to  Birmingham 
can  be  obtained  without  the  consent  of  the  corporation  ; this 
has  only  been  given  on  certain  conditions,  which  have 
usually  been  incorporated  in  special  clauses  inserted  in  the 
various  orders.  The  chief  of  these  conditions  may  be 
shortly  stated  as  follows  : — 

Corporation  to  Construct. 

(a.)  The  corporation  to  have  power  to  take  the  place  of 
promoters  in  all  things  relating  to  the  construction  and 
maintenance  of  the  tramways  within  their  own  district. 


14 


Leases. 

(h.)  The  corporation  to  grant  a lease  of  the  tramways, 
after  completion,  to  the  promoters  for  a term  of  twenty-one 
years  (the  longest  term  allowed  by  the  Act  of  1870),  and 
subject  to  the  conditions  specified  in  a certain  form  of  Draft 
Lease. 


Security  Fund. 

(c. ) Before  the  construction  of  the  tramways  is  com- 
menced, the  promoters  to  deposit  with  the  corporation  a 
sum  equivalent  to  £2,500  per  mile  of  single  line  of  tramway 
proposed  to  be  constructed.  This  fund  to  remain  in  the 
hands  of  the  corporation  during  the  term  of  the  lease  as  a 
security  for  the  due  payment  of  the  rent  of  the  tramways, 
and  the  performance  of  the  covenants  and  conditions  of  the 
lease.  The  corporation  to  pay  the  promoters  interest  at  the 
rate  of  three  and  one-half  per  cent,  per  annum  upon  this 
deposit  (or  the  balance  thereof),  and  to  have  powder  to  resort 
to  the  principal  for  making  good  any  arrears  of  rent,  or  any 
other  payments  that  may  become  due. 

Draft  Lease. 

The  " form  of  Draft  Lease  ” above  referred  to  is  signed  by 
the  secretary  to  the  promoters,  and  is  accepted  by  them 
before  the  order  is  made.  It  defines  the  terms  on  which  the 
lines  are  leased  by  the  corporation,  and  the  rent,  etc.,  to  be 
paid  for  them.  These  payments  are  to  be  as  follows  : — 


Bent,  etc. 

First.  For  the  first  fourteen  years  of  the  lease  a sum 
equal  to  four  per  cent,  per  annum,  on  the  original  cost  of  the 
tramways,  and  for  the  remaining  seven  years  a sum  equal  to 
five  per  cent,  on  such  cost. 


15 


Sinldng-Fund, 

Second.  Such  a sum  as,  calculated  at  four  per  cent, 
compound  interest  for  the  first  fourteen  years,  and  at  five 
per  cent,  compound  interest  for  the  remaining  seven  years, 
will  amount  at  the  end  of  the  term  to  a sum  equal  to  the 
original  cost  of  the  tramways.  (This  payment  is  nearly 
equal  to  three  per  cent,  on  the  original  cost.) 

Repairs. 

Third.  The  actual  cost  (as  certified  by  the  City  Sur- 
veyor) incurred  by  the  corporation  in  repairs  and  main- 
tenance of  the  tramways. 

Exceptions. 

There  are  exceptions  to  the  above-named  arrangements, 
both  as  to  the  security  fund  and  also  as  to  the  annual  pay- 
ments. 

In  the  case  of  the  Aston  Tramway  Company  leasing  the 
lines  in  Corporation  street,  Aston  street,  and  Aston  road, 
the  Order  of  1880  fixed  the  security  fund  at  .£4,000,  and 
the  Order  of  1882,  authorizing  a further  length  of  tramway, 
fixed  the  additional  security  fund  in  respect  thereof  at 
£1,450  ; and  in  both  cases  half  the  amount  was  to  be  repaid 
to  the  company  two  years  after  the  tramway  had  been 
opened  and  continuously  worked.  The  corporation  have 
the  like  power  as  before  to  resort  to  the  balance  in  hand  to 
make  good  any  deficiency  in  the  payments  due  from  the 
company  ; pay  to  the  company  interest  on  the  sums  in  hand, 
and  pay  over  to  them  the  l)alance  at  the  expiration  of  the 
lease.  The  amount  now  in  the  hands  of  the  corporation  is 
£2,725,  being  at  the  rate  of  about  £1,350  per  mile  of  single 
line. 

In  this  case  also  the  rent  (which  may  be  taken  to  include 
also  the  sinking-fund)  has  been  fixed  at  £410  per  annum 
for  the  first  fourteen  years,  and  at  £615  for  the  remaining 


16 


seven  years  of  the  lease.  The  first  item  is  equivalent  to 
about  six  per  eent.  per  annum  on  the  original  cost,  and  the 
second  one  to  about  nine  per  cent,  on  such  cost.  Through- 
out the  term  of  the  lease  the  company  also  pay  £205  per 
annum  to  cover  the  cost  of  repairs  and  maintenance,  together 
with  such  other  sums  as  the  surveyor  may  determine  to  be 
due  by  reason  of  the  extra  wear  and  tear  caused  by  cars 
from  other  routes  running  over  the  lines. 

There  is  a further  exception  in  the  case  of  the  Hockley 
cable  and  the  Bristol-road  electric  routes,  both  leased  to  the 
Central  Tramway  Company.  The  amount  of  security  fund 
is  as  before  stated,  viz.,  £2,500  per  mile  of  single  line ; but 
the  corporation  pay  interest  thereon  at  the  same  rate  as  the 
rent  is  fixed  on  the  original  cost,  viz.,  four  per  cent,  per 
annum  for  the  first  fourteen  years,  and  five  per  cent, 
per  annum  for  the  remaining  seven  years. 

Tramicays  in  Balsall  Heath. 

By  the  extension  of  the  city  boundaries  on  the  9th  No- 
vember, 1891,  the  lines  constructed  by  the  Central  Tram- 
^ way  Company  in  Balsall  Heath  are  brought  within  the  limits 
of  the  city ; but  inasmuch  as  the  corporation  do  not  acquire 
any  powers  over  them  beyond  those  possessed  by  the  Bal- 
sall Heath  Local  Board,  the  lines  will  remain  the  property 
of  the  tramway  company,  and  will  not  be  subject  to  any 
of  the  payments  referred  to  above. 

. Motive  Power. 

As  before  stated,  the  Tramways  Act  of  1870  provides 
that  the  motive  power  to  be  used  on  the  tramways  shall  be 
specified  in  the  Provisional  Order  unless  nothing  but  animal 
power  be  used.  No  provision  was  made  in  either  of  the 
Corporation  Orders  of  1872  and  1874,  nor  in  the  Birming- 
ham and  Aston  Order  of  1880.  The  Birmingham  and  West- 
ern Districts  Order  of  1881  first  made  provision  for  the  use 


17 


of  "steam  or  any  mechanical  power,”  and  the  Birmingham 
and  Aston  Order  of  1882  made  the  like  provision,  and  ex- 
tended it  to  the  tramways  specified  in  the  Order  of  1880. 
Identical  clauses  were  inserted  in  all  orders  up  to  1884, 
and,  as  above  stated,  the  Corporation  Order  of  1885  ex- 
pressly provided  for  the  use  of  cables  on  the  tramwa3^s  it 
authorized.  The  Birmingham  Central  Order  of  1885  con- 
tains a still  more  comprehensive  clause,  and  takes  power 
to  use  on  the  tramways  authorized  by  that  order,  and  also 
on  those  authorized  by  the  Birmingham  and  Suburban  Order 
of  1882,  " haulage  with  wire  ropes,  cables,  chains,  or  other 
appliances,  or  by  means  of  electrical  power,  steam  power, 
or  any  mechanical  power.” 

Conditions  for  Use  of  Mechanical  Power, 

There  is  always  inserted  in  a Provisional  Order  a clause 
to  the  effect  that  any  mechanical  power  shall  only  be  used 
with  the  consent  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  which  consent  shall 
not  be  given  for  a longer  period  than  seven  years  at  one 
time.  Before  this  consent  is  given,  the  line  is  inspected, 
and  if  not  in  good  order,  the  permission  may  be  withheld, 
or  given  for  a shorter  period  onl3^  On  the  expiration  of  the 
seven  3^ears’  period  on  .the  Aston  tramway,  in  1889,  the  con- 
sent for  the  use  of  steam  on  the  lines  outside  the  city 
boundary  was  given  for  twelve  months  only  ; the  following 
year,  the  lines  in  the  meantime  having  been  relaid  with  new 
rails,  the  tramway  was  again  inspected  by  the  Board  of 
Trade,  and  consent  given  for  the  full  period. 

Board  of  Trade  Regulations, 

The  Board  of  Trade  consent  for  the  use  of  mechanical 
power  is  always  accompanied  by  certain  regulations, 
which  ma}^  be,  and  which  are,  withdrawn  and  modified 
from  time  to  time,  as  occasion  renders  necessary.  On  the 
steam  routes  the  regulations  provide  that  every  engine  used 


18 


shall  be  fitted  with  proper  brake-blocks,  and  with  an 
automatic  governor  for  shutting  off  steam,  applying  the 
brakes,  and  bringing  the  engine  to  a standstill  in  the  event 
of  a speed  of  ten  miles  an  hour  being  exceeded  ; the  engine 
to  be  fitted  with  an  indicator  to  show  the  speed  ; a fender  to 
push  aside  obstructions  ; a bell,  etc.,  to  be  sounded  as  a warn- 
ing when  necessary  ; to  be  free  from  noise  and  clatter  of 
niachinery,  etc.  The  carriages  are  to  be  so  constructed  as 
to  provide  for  the  safety  of  passengers.  Speed  at  which 
engine  is  driven  not  to  exceed  eight  miles  an  hour,  and  not 
to  exceed  four  miles  an  hour  through  facing  points,  and 
certain  other  specified  places.  Engines  and  cars  to  be  con- 
nected by  double  couplings  ; engines  to  carry  two  bright 
colored  lights  in  front  after  dark  and  in  cases  of  fog.  Be- 
sides these  regulations  are  by-laws  for  the  guidance  of 
the  engine-driver  and  conductor. 

O 


Cable  Tramicays. 

In  the  case  of  the  cable  tramway,  similar  regulations  are 
in  force.  The  stationary  engine  has  to  be  fitted  with  an 
automatic  governor  to  prevent  the  speed  of  the  cable  ex- 
ceeding the  specified  maximum  (seven  miles  an  hour  in  the 
city,  and  nine  uiiles  an  hour  in  Handsworth).  The  cars  to 
have  two  independent  sets  of  brakes,  one  being  applied  to 
the  wheels,  and  the  other  set  to  the  surface  of  the  rails ; the 
cars  to  be  furnished  with  wheel-guards,  and  no  cars  to  leave 
the  depot  unless  the  grippers  and  brake  connections  are  in 
proper  working  order. 


Electric  Cars. 

In  the  case  of  the  electric  cars  the  regulations  provide 
that  the  passengers  shall  not  have  access  to  any  portion  of 
the  electric  circuit ; that  all  wires  and  connections  be  of 
ample  size  and  thoroughly  insulated,  and  protected  by  safety 
fuses;  and  the  compartments  in  which  the  accumulator  cells 


19 


are  carried  to  be  completely  separated  from  the  interior  of 
the  car. 

Consent  of  Corporation. 

All  the  Provisional  Orders  in  force  contain  a clause  to  the 
effect  that  no  mechanical  power  shall  be  used  on  the  tram- 
ways without  the  consent  of  the  corporation,  and  subject  to 
such  terms  and  conditions  as  they  may  think  fit  (not  being 
inconsistent  with  the  provisions  of  the  order),  no  such 
consent  being  given  for  a longer  period  than  seven  years. 
It  has  lately  been  the  practice  for  the  corporation  to  give 
this  consent  for  one  year  only,  and  in  certain  cases  for  still 
shorter  periods.  The  conditions  on  which  the  consent  is 
given  provide  that  every  engine  shall  comply  strictly  with 
the  requirements  of  the  Board  of  Trade  ; shall  be  fitted  with 
a " child-protector,”  or  guard,  in  front ; shall  not  emit  sul- 
phurous or  noxious  vapors,  nor  allow  steam  or  water  to 
escape  on  to  the  roadvvay  to  such  an  extent  as  to  constitute 
a reasonable  ground  for  com[)laint  by  passengers  or  the 
public.  The  conductors  of  a car  are  required  to  remain  on 
the  platform  in  readiness  to  apply  the  brakes,  wdiile  the  car 
is  travelling  up  or  down  an  incline  greater  than  1 in  25. 
Companies  not  to  use  salt  or  any  chemical  material  for  the 
removal  of  snow,  etc.  There  are  also  other  conditions, 
referring  to  the  cleaning  of  cars,  displa^^  of  tables  of  fares, 
etc. 

By-Laws. 

Section  46  of  the  Tramways  Act,  1870,  gives  the  corpora- 
tion, as  the  local  authority,  power  to  make  by-laws  as  to 
the  rate  of  speed,  distances  at  which  carriages  shall  follow 
one  another,  stopping,  and  regulating  the  traffic  of  the  road 
on  which  the  tramway  is  laid.  The  same  section  also  gives 
the  promoters  or  their  lessees  power  to  make  regulations  as 
to  the  prevention  of  nuisances  and  regulating  the  travelling 
upon  the  tramways.  Both  as  the  local  authority,  and  as 
promoters  of  the  tramways,  the  corporation  have  made 


20 


certain  by-laws.  Section  48  of  the  Act  of  1870  gives  to 
the  local  authority  the  like  power  of  making  rules  and 
regulations  affecting  the  carriages  used  on  the  tramways, 
or  the  persons  in  charge  of  or  travelling  in  the  same,  as  they 
are  entitled  to  make  in  respect  of  hackney  carriages,  and, 
accordingly,  the  rules  and  regulations  made  by  the  corpora- 
tion under  the  "Towns  Police  Clauses  Act,  1847,"  and 
" The  Birmingham  Corporation  Consolidation  Act,  1883,” 
apply  to  all  the  cars,  etc.,  used  upon  the  tramways. 

Extent  of  Tramiuays. 

The  total  length  of  roads  traversed  by  tramways  within 
the  city  is  twenty-one  miles  forty-four  chains,  of  which  six 
miles  seventy-one  chains  is  laid  as  single  line,  and  fourteen 
miles  tifty-three  chains  as  double  line.  The  total  length, 
measured  as  single  line,  is  therefore  thirty-six  miles  seven- 
teen chains.  Of  this  length,  two  miles  forty-one  chains 
(single  line)  was  constructed  by  the  Central  Tramway 
Company  in  the  district  of  Balsall  Heath  before  the  city 
boundary  was  extended ; the  cost  of  this  portion  is  not 
known.  The  balance,  being  an  equivalent  length  of  thirty- 
three  miles  fifty-six  chains  of  single  line,  was  constructed  at 
various  periods  between  1882  and  1889,  by  the  corporation, 
at  a total  cost  of  £169,656,  an  average  cost  of  £5,040  per 
mile  of  single  line.  The  actual  cost  of  the  different  sections 
has  varied,  partly  from  the  nature  of  the  work,  but  more  so 
from  fluctuations  in  the  price  of  materials ; the  rails,  for 
instance,  have  varied  in  price  from  £9  to  £6  lOs'.  per  ton. 
The  lowest  cost  has  been  at  the  rate  of  £4,750  per  mile  of 
single  line,  and  the  highest  at  the  rate  of  £5,800  per  mile. 

Construction . 

In  construction  a nearU^  uniform  system  has  been  adopted 
throughout.  Girder-shaped  rails  are  used,  generally  seven 
inches  deep,  seven  inches  wide  on  bottom  flanges,  and 


21 


weighing  ninety-eight  pounds  per  yard ; except  in  two  cases, 
when  rails  six  inches  deep  and  weighing  ninety-two  pounds 
per  yard  were  used.  In  1882  a length  of  about  two  miles 
of  single  line  was  laid  with  the  "Barker”  rail,  a compound 
structure  consisting  of  a forty-two-pound  steel  rail  carried 
on  heavy  cast-iron  sleepers.  These  were  not  found  to  be 
satisfactory,  and  have  since  been  all  replaced  with  the  heavy 
section  of  girder  rails.  In  all  cases  there  is  a bed  of  Port- 
land cement  concrete  not  less  than  six  inches  thick  under 
the  rails  and  paving.  The  paving  is  generally  of  granite 
sets,  six  inches  or  five  inches  deep,  according  as  the  rails 
are  seven  inches  or  six  inches  deep.  Wood  paving,  six 
inches  deep,  has  been  laid  on  length  of  about  ten  miles  of 
single  line. 

Repairs, 

The  repairs  are  a continually  increasing  source  of  expense  : 
it  is  found  that  for  about  a year  after  the  line  is  opened  the 
effects  of  wear  and  tear  are  very  slight ; but  later  on  the 
joints  in  the  rails  work  loose,  the  paving  adjacent  to  them 
sinks,  leaving  the  rail  as  a dangerous  projection  al)ove  the 
surface.  The  mischief  is  caused  by  the  heavy  rolling-stock, 
it  being  found  that  on  the  horse  tramway,  even  in  streets  of 
very  heavy  ordinary  traffic,  the  cost  of  repairs  for  several 
years  has  been  very  small.  The  steam  locomotives  weigh 
from  nine  to  twelve  tons  each,  and  this  load  on  four  wheels 
is  evidently  more  than  the  rails  will  bear  without  great  wear 
and  tear.  A loaded  car  may  be  taken  at  six  tons,  but  this 
load  l)eing  on  eight  wheels,  is  well  within  the  carrying  power 
of  the  rails.  As  illustrating  the  effects  of  this  traffic,  it  may 
be  mentioned  that  in  Aston  road  the  Barker’s  rails,  laid  in 
1882,  were  so  badly  worn  as  to  be  dangerous  to  ordinary 
traffic,  and  had  to  be  taken  up  and  replaced  with  new  alter 
the  passage  over  them  of  about  275,000  cars.  In  Hill 
street,  girder  rails  laid  in  18^>4  had  become  dangerous,  and 
had  to  be  rei)laced  in  the  early  part  of  this  year  after  the 
passage  over  them  of  about  625,000  cars.  Both  these  in- 


22 


stances  are  taken  from  straight  lines ; on  curves  the  wear 
and  tear  is  much  greater,  partly  because  the  wheel  does  not 
pass  over  the  rail  with  a true  rolling  motion,  but  with  a 
motion  that  is  partly  rolling  and  partly  sliding,  and  this 
effect  increases  very  rapidly  as  the  radius  of  the  curve  is 
reduced. 

The  total  expenditure  on  the  repairs  of  the  Birmingham 


tramvvaiys  has  been  as  follows  : — 

In  1884  

£ 

88 

s. 

4 

d. 

0 

In  1885  . 

104 

4 

2 

In  1886  . 

1,059 

4 

0 

In  1887  . 

. 1,397 

7 

2 

In  1888  . 

2,234 

8 

9 

In  1889  . 

. 4,198 

5 

0 

In  1890  . 

. 6,787 

12 

3 

Total  . 

15,819 

5 

4 

The  total  for  this  year  will  show  a considerable  increase 
over  last  year. 

Costs  of  Cable  Line, 

The  amount  beforementioned  as  the  cost  of  the  tramways 
is  the  amount  expended  by  the  corporation,  and  includes  all 
expenses  of  constructing  the  lines,  except  in  the  case  of  the 
Hockley  cable  tramway.  In  this  case  it  includes  only  the 
cost  of  the  work  belonging  to  and  forming  part  of  an  ordinary 
tramway.  The  tramway  company  became  contractors  to  the 
corporation  for  constructing  the  line,  and  had  permission  to 
construct  it  as  a cable  tramway,  providing  at  their  own  cost 
everything  necessary  for  a cable  line  that  was  over  and 
above  what  would  have  been  necessary  for  an  ordinary  tram- 
way. The  rent  and  sinking-fund  paid  to  the  corporation 
are  those  due  to  an  ordinary  tramway  only. 

In  addition  to  the  figures  above  given,  it  ma}^  be 
mentioned  that  the  total  amount  deposited  with  the  cor- 
poration as  security  fund  is  £81,780  Is.  Zd. 


23 


The  total  amount  paid  under  the  head  of  rent  is 
£6,928  25.  per  annum  for  the  first  fourteen  years,  and 
£8,762  145.  for  the  last  seven  years  of  the  leases.  The 
payments  to  form  the  sinking-fund  amount  to  a total  of 
£4,683  175.  per  annum  during  the  whole  term.  The  pay- 
ments for  repairs,  of  course,  vary  according  to  the  amounts 
actually  expended  from  time  to  time. 

Birmingham  has  a population  as  large  as  Boston,  and  the 
above  description  of  the  street-railroads  of  that  city  gives  a 
fair  idea  of  the  manner  in  which  street-railroads  throughout 
Great  Britain  and  Ireland  are  built,  operated,  and  leased. 


Paris  and  Berlin  Street-Railroad. 

In  Paris  and  Berlin  the  mode  of  street-conveyance  is  a 
combination,  like  London,  of  the  horse-railroad  and  the 
omnibus,  and  the  system  of  low  fares  graded  from  three 
cents  to  six  cents  prevails.  In  fact,  the  systems  and  the 
style  of  coaches  in  all  three  cities  are  very  similar.  I have 
seen  nothing  in  any  of  these  cities  that  a Bostonian  might 
envy,  so  far  as  horse-car  accommodations  are  concerned, 
except  the  penny  fares ; but  our  long-distance  rides  are 
much  cheaper  than  in  either  of  these  cities,  especially  when 
it  must  be  remembered  that  the  working  classes  in  any  one 
of  them  do  not  earn  one-half  that  which  a mechanic  receives 
here. 

One  great  advantage,  though,  which  they  possess  over  us 
is  that  you  are  always  sure  of  a seat;  for  if  a horse-car  or 
omnibus  has  its  full  complement  the  conductor  admits  no 
more,  and  you  must  wait  for  the  next  car  which  has  room  for 
"one  more.”  How  the  system  of  waiting  would  please  our 
rapid-transit  people  in  Boston  and  its  sul)urbs  is  another 
thing.  It  may  be  worth  an  experiment  here.  In  all  those 
cities  cars  and  omnibuses  run  in  every  direction,  and  at  right 
angles  as  well  as  on  parallel  lines,  thus  afibi-ding  easy  transit 
from  any  one  section  to  any  other.  This  feature  Boston 


24 


lamentably  lacks.  There  is  very  little  difficulty  with  us  in 
travelling  north  and  south,  but  a total  lack  of  accommo- 
dations when  one  desires  to  cross  Boston  in  an  easterly  and 
westerly  direction.  In  addition  to  all  this,  there  are  the 
hansom  cabs  of  London  and  the  cabs  of  Paris  and  Berlin, 
which  seem  to  be  omnipresent,  and  which  transport  passen- 
gers for  very  low  fares,  and  are  used  more  generally  than 
with  us.  For  one  shilling  in  London,  two  or  more  persons 
can  ride  quite  a distance,  and  for  about  forty  cents  an  hour  in 
cither  Paris  or  Berlin  two  or  more  can  hire  a cab.  So  much 
for  the  street  system.  But  these  are  not  all  the  convenience 
and  facility  for  travel  which  the  people  of  London,  Paris, 
and  Berlin  enjoy,  London  and  Berlin  especially.  They 
have  a circular  system  of  either  underground  or  surface  rail- 
roads, affording  quick  transportation  from  the  suburbs  to  the 
city,  and  from  any  station  on  the  line  of  these  circular  roads 
to  any  of  the  great  railroads  that  go  from  the  city  through-, 
out  the  country.  In  addition  to  this,  the  city  of  Berlin  has 
a o^rand  elevated  railroad-structure  of  four  tracks  running 
east  and  west  and  halving  it,  and  thus  solving  effectually  the 
question  of  rapid  transit,  not  only  for  suburban,  but  for 
through  travel  also.  A description  of  these  may  not  be  out 
of  place.  I will  first  begin  with  the  underground  railroad 
system  of  London,  which  is  operated  by  two  companies 
known  as  the  Metropolitan  and  District  Railway  Companies, 
but  which  for  our  purpose  I shall  speak  of  as  one  company. 

Londox.  — The  Underground  Steam-Railroads. 

The  Metropolitan  and  District  Railroads  are  run  round  the 
business  section  of  London,  and  have  intercommunication 
with  each  other,  and  form  what  is  called  the  circle,  which 
is  about  thirteen  miles  round,  and  operate  about  sixty  miles 
of  road.  They  have  been  in  operation  over  twenty  years, 
and  are  double-track  underground  roads,  with  stations  about 
halt  a mile  apart.  They  were  originally  intended  to  accom- 
modate local  traffic,  but  after  being  in  operation  some  time 


MAP  OF  THE  METROPOLITAN  UNDERGROUND  RAILROAD,  LONDON. 


25 


they  discovered  to  their  cost  that  one  was  built  too  far  north 
and  the  other  too  far  south  of  the  business  streets  of  London, 
such  as  the  Strand,  Fleet  street,  Cheapside,  Oxford  street, 
and  Piccadilly.  The  result  was  that  these  roads  lost  the 
short-distance  travellers  on  those  great  thoroughfares.  Peo- 
ple preferred  taking  the  omnibuses,  with  their  penny-a-mile 
rides. 

To  prevent  utter  bankruptcy  they  had  to  look  out  for 
suburban  extensions,  and  the  result  has  been  that  they  are 
to-day  connected  with  many  of  the  great  railroads  that  run 
into  London  ; some  of  them,  as  the  North  Western  and  Great 
Western,  actually  running  their  cars  over  these  two  roads  at 
intervals  of  fifteen  minutes.  The  actual  service  of  the  road 
is  one  train  every  five  minutes,  capable  of  carrying  from 
three  hundred  and  fifty  to  four  hundred  passengers.  Begin- 
ning at  the  East  End  of  London,  those  lines  connect  with  the 
Great  Eastern  Railroad  at  Liverpool  street.  Then  there  is 
a junction  with  the  Great  Northern  & Midland  at  Black- 
friars  bridge.  At  Charing  Cross  the  station  is  right  under 
the  South  Eastern,  on  which  so  many  people  travel  to  Dover 
and  thence  to  the  Continent.  The  South  Western  also  runs 
through  this  road.  This  road  runs  to  Southampton. 

At  the  Victoria  station  they  connect  with  the  London, 
Chatham,  & Dover  road  and  the  South  Coast  Railroad. 
At  Willesden  Junction  they  connect  with  the  Northwestern, 
which  will  take  passengers  to  Liverpool,  Glasgow,  Ireland, 
etc.  At  the  Praed-street  station  they  connect  with  the 
Great  Western’s  terminus,  and  at  King’s  Cross  with  the 
Midland  & Great  Northern.  So  that  it  will  be  seen  that 
these  roads,  together  with  having  a large  suburban  travel, 
have  also  intercommunication,  or  land  passengers  at  or 
close  to  the  great  railroad  stations  that  run  from  London  in 
every  direction,  and  also  book  passengers  at  their  stations  to 
distant  points  in  the  empire.  And  yet,  notwithstanding  all 
this,  the  average  fare  per  passenger  did  not  exceed  two  and 
a quarter  pence  last  year,  though  the  District  road  extends 


26 


seventeen  miles.  The  cause  of  this  is,  that  for  local  traffic 
in  London  they  are  obliged  to  run  penny  fares  in  the  heart 
of  the  city,  to  prevent  the  omnibus  lines  from  securing  all  the 
traffic.  The  result  is  that  the  District  road  is  about  £40,000 
behindhand  every  year,  and  what  they  would  receive  were  it 
not  for  the  omnibus  coaipetition  on  short  routes  was  shown  by 
the  fact  that,  during  the  omnibus  strike  last  year,  their  re- 
ceipts increased  £4,000  per  week,  or  $1,000,000  per  year. 
This  great  traffic  they  lose  because  they  are  off  the  line  of 
business  streets.  The  General  Manager  laid  particular 
emphasis  on  building  expensive  undertakings  like  under- 
ground or  elevated  roads  near  the  line  of  business  travel,  as 
it  will  be  the  measure  of  profit  or  loss,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
London  underground  roads.  I travelled  over  this  road 
several  times,  and  found  it  did  not  contain  so  much  smoke  as 
I expected,  because  not  only  do  they  burn  smokeless  coal, 
but  their  engines  also  consume  their  own  smoke.  In  addi- 
tion to  this  they  have  open  spaces  wherever  it  is  possible, 
and  the  inconvenience  from  carbonic  gas  and  a fetid  atmos- 
phere is  reduced  to  a minimum,  though  this  underground 
road  has  not  the  method  resorted  to  for  introducing  fresh  air 
that  prevails  in  the  Mersey  tunnel  at  Liverpool,  which  is  one 
of  the  most  perfectly  ventilated  underground  railroads  in  the 
world. 

The  cost  of  the  Metropolitan  underground  road  varied 
from  £600,000  to  £900,000  per  mile,  according  to  location, 
and  land  damages  paid.  Its  management  is  perfect,  but  it 
labors  under  the  disadvantage  of  running  round  the  city, 
and  is  not  near  enough  to  the  business  section  of  London  to 
compete  with  the  omnibus  and  tramway  lines,  and  as  a 
result  is  not  a paying  concern,  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  it  carries  about  120,000,000  passengers  yearly.  What 
is  needed  in  London  is  a line  that  will  divide  the  circle  in 
two,  and  this  the  proposed  underground  Central  London 
Kailway  will  attempt  to  accomplish.  They  have  cheap  fares 


27 


from  five  to  eio’ht  in  the  mornino^,  and  the  underofround 
electric  has  penny  fares  from  six  to  eight  A.M. 

To  give  an  idea  of  how  those  underground  roads  accom- 
modate passengers  who  desire  to  take  long-distance  travel, 
I copied  some  of  the  notices  at  their  station. 

jSL  James  Park, 

"Intercommunication  at  AVimbledon  with  the  London  and 
South  Western  Railwa3^” 

Here  is  another  notice  : — 

Victoria  Station, 

"London  and  North  Western  Railroad  trains  leave  this 
station  every  half-hour,  connecting  with  express-train  ser- 
vice to  Liverpool,  Manchester,  North  Wales,  Ireland,  and 
Scotland.” 

On  the  cars  of  the  London  and  North  Western  lines  which 
run  on  this  undero^round  road  I read  the  following  list  of 
stations  at  which  they  stopped,  posted  on  the  cars  : “ Broad 
street,  Willesden,  Kensington,  and  Mansion  House.  Change 
at  Willesden  for  main  line.” 

Interview  with  Assistant  General  Manager  of  the  District 

Road. 

The  following  interview  with  the  Assistant  General 
Manager  of  the  District  underground  road  will  be  of  in- 
terest: " The  circle  round  which  we  operate  in  conjunction 
with  the  Metropolitan  Railroad  is  thirteen  miles  in  length, 
and  takes  nearly  one  hour  to  ti-avel  through.  In  conjunction 
with  the  jNletropolitan  we  operate  sixty  miles  of  road,  and 
carry  over  2,000,000  passengers  a week.  Our  road  cost 
from  £050,000  to  £900,000  a mile,  and  is  in  operation  over 
twenty  years.  AVe  have  for  six  years  paid  no  dividends, 
notwithstanding  our  enormous  travel.  The  longest  trip  on 
our  roads  is  seventeen  miles,  but  owing  to  the  enormous 


28 


penny-travel  we  do  not  average  two  and  one-fourth  pence  a 
passenger. 

"For  years,  by  an  understanding  with  the  managers 
of  the  London  General  Omnil)us  Company,  we  agreed 
with  them  on  a fixed  price  for  local  traffic  and  short 
trips,  but  some  few  years  ago  a new  company  was 
started  called  the  Road  Car  Omnibus  Company.  They 
started  penny  fares  on  the  Strand  and  Fleet  street, 
and  from  Charing  Cross  to  Piccadilly.  The  result  was, 
we  were  also  obliged  to  come  down  from  twopence  and 
threepence  to  penny  fares,  on  our  short-distance  travel, 
and  this  has  been  continued.  We  then  sought  other  means 
of  feeding  our  road,  and  our  policy  for  years  has  been  to 
connect  as  much  as  possible  with  all  the  railroads  running 
into  London  ; and  where  we  do  not  run  into  the  stations,  or 
they  into  ours,  we  always  try,  for  the  mutual  advantage  of 
l)oth,  as  at  the  Victoria  and  Charing  Cross,  to  have  stations 
near,  with  porters  ready  to  transfer  passengers  and  luggage. 
We  burn  smokeless  coal,  which  w^e  get  in  a certain  locality 
in  Wales,  and  our  engines  are  so  constructed  as  to  con- 
sume all  their  smoke,  and  thus  avoid  as  much  as  possible 
the  complaint  so  often  made  about  smoke  in  our  tunnels. 
AVherever  we  can  we  have  open-airspaces  ; we  have  them,  as 
you  have  no  doubt  seen.  On  the  outskirts  our  road,  though 
under  the  ground  level,  is  open.  We  run  cheap  trains 
morning  and  evening,  from  five  to  eight  o’clock.  We  are 
saddled  with  a perpetual  debenture  debt  of  six  per  cent.,  and 
some  of  the  money  which  built  our  road  we  borrowed  at  a 
discount  of  thirty-seven  per  cent.  This  road  we  built  when 
rates  of  interest  were  high,  and  we  have  to  contend  with 
paying  this  high  percentage,  and  as  a result,  and  for  the 
other  reason  I mentioned,  w^e  are  unable  to  pay  any 
dividends.  The  Great  Western  and  North  Western  run 
their  trains  over  our  roads,  and  we  connect  directly  with 
other  roads,  and  are  thus  enabled  to  embark  our  passengers 
from  any  part  of  London,  throughout  England.  We  labor. 


W 


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f: 

I 


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THE  cn  "!'  .\ND  SO.  LONDON  RA1LV^\Y. 


MAP  OF  ROUTE 


29 


however,  under  the  disadvantage  of  having  our  Circle 
stations  too  far  removed  from, the  business  streets  of  the  city, 
thus  losing  the  immense  local  travel  on  the  Strand,  Fleet 
street,  Piccadilly,  Regent  and  Oxford  streets.  Expensive 
roads  like  underground  or  elevated  roads  should  have  their 
stations  near  to,  and  should  be  built  on,  the  line  of  great 
thoroughfares.  Ours  are  along  the  Thames,  where  there  is 
very  little  local  traffic,  and  the  stations  of  the  Metropolitan  are 
as  far  or  farther  north  of  the  great  travel.  If  we  could  cut 
our  circle  in  two  we  then  could  compete  with  omnibuses, 
etc.” 

I saw  the  General  Manager,  Mr.  Alfred  Powell,  who  was 
most  courteous,  and  who  explained  to  me  the  whole  work- 
ings of  the  road.  His  conversation  was  in  aline  with  that  of 
his  assistant,  heretofore  given.  I herewith  present  a map  of 
the  Metropolitan  and  District  railroads,  showing  the  different 
stations  on  the  circle  and  the  lines  of  railroads  Avith  which 
the  underground  system  connects,  as  also  the  last  semi- 
annual report  of  the  District  road,  giving  in  detail  all  the 
business  done  by  it  for  the  half-year  ending  June  30,  1891. 
This  map  also  contains  the  route  of  the  recently  constructed 
under«:round  electric  railroad  which  runs  from  Kin<2:  William 
street,  under  the  Thames,  to  Clapham  in  South  London,  a 
distance  of  three  and  one-half  miles,  and  is  popularly  known 
as  the  Greathead  road,  but  its  legal  name  is  ” The  City 
& South  London  Railway,”  a description  of  Avhich  and  the 
method  of  its  construction  may  not  be  out  of  place  here.  It 
is  in  operation  now  nine  months.  Recently  a charter  was 
granted  a company  to  build  a road  similar  in  construction  to 
the  South  London  road,  and  under  the  business  streets  of 
London  for  a distance  of  seven  miles. 

The  Greathead  Underground  Electric  Roads  of  London. 

A bill  was  passed  at  the  late  session  of  Parliament 
authorizing  the  building  of  an  underground  railroad  to  be 
known  as  the  ” Central  London  Railway.”  It  is  to  run 


30 


under  the  business  section  of  London,  and  will  cut  in  two  the 
circle,  so  called,  around  the  city  made  by  the  Metropolitan 
and  District  underground  steam-railroads  of  London.  It 
will  be  seven  miles  long,  and  will  extend  from  the  Mansion 
House  through  Cheapside,  Newgate,  across  Holborn  Via- 
duct, Oxford  street,  Bayswater  road  to  Shepherd’s  Bush, 
in  almost  a straight  line,  and  will  have  thirteen  stations,  thus 
making  half  a mile  between  each  station.  The  depth  is  to  be 
from  fifty  to  seventy  feet  below  the  surface,  and  the  time 
taken  to  run  from  one  end  of  the  line  to  the  other  will  be 
half  an  hour.  The  capital  is  £2,700,000,  with  a borrowing 
power  of  £9O0,000,  making  a total  of  £3,600,000,  or  a cost 
per  mile,  equipment  and  damages  included,  of  £500,000,  or 
$2,500,000.  The  diameter  of  each  tunnel  is  to  be  eleven 
feet  six  inches.  Each  station  is  to  be  supplied  with  a hy- 
draulic lift  or  elevator  capable  of  holding  one  hundred  per- 
sons, and  also  a stairway.  It  is  to  be  purely  a local  railroad, 
like  the  South  London  Railroad,  and  is  not  intended  to  con- 
nect with  any  other  railroad.  Its  engineer  is  Mr.  James  H. 
Greathead,  and  it  is  to  be  built  on  what  is  popularly  known 
as  the  Greathead  system  of  tunnelling,  a description  of 
which  you  must  have  read.  Its  construction  will  be  similar 
to  that  of  the  City  & South  London  Railroad  before  referred 
to.  I rode  throus^h  the  South  London  tunnel  several  times, 
and,  by  the  aid  of  a lantern  and  standing  on  the  rear  platform 
of  the  last  car,  inspected  the  tunnel  its  whole  length.  Its 
average  depth  is  about  fifty  feet  under  the  surface  ; each 
train  has  three  carriages  capable  of  holding  thirty-two  persons. 
The  cars  are  modelled  after  our  horse-cars,  but  much  inferior  in 
build  and  appearance.  The  service  is  a six-minute  service, 
the  fare  twopence,  and  the  time  which  it  takes  to  run  three 
and  one-half  miles,  including  stoppage  at  six  stations,  is 
fifteen  minutes,  or  at  the  rate  of  fifteen  miles  an  hour.  The 
noise  is  like  the  roaring  of  the  ocean  after  a storm,  and  many 
persons  whom  I interviewed  told  me  they  always  experienced 
a headache  for  some  time  after  leaving  these  cars.  I must 


31 


confess  I experienced  a similar  sensation  myself,  and  though 
I rode  through  the  tunnel  a dozen  times  I always  experi- 
enced the  same  disagreeable  results.  Hydraulic  elevators 
holding  seventy  persons  take  passengers  up  and  down  at 
each  station.  The  tunnel  everywhere  runs  under  the  streets, 
with  the  exception  of  short  distances  at  either  side  of  the 
Thames,  where  it  runs  under  large  warehouses  ; and,  though 
tested  by  the  most  delicate  instruments,  no  subsidence  has 
taken  place,  nor  was  any  vibration  discovered.  Approaching 
each  station  there  is  an  elevation  of  one  foot  in  thirty  feet  for 
a distance  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet.  The  rest  of  the 
tunnel  is  level.  The  tunnel  is  perfectly  cylindrical,  is  built 
of  iron,  and  is  formed  of  rings  twenty  inches  indength,  wiih 
flanges  four  inches  deep,  each  ring  being  firmly  bolted 
through  the  flanges.  It  looks  like  an  enormous  boiler  laid  on 
the  ground.  The  South  London  tunnel  now  in  operation  is 
ten  feet  six  inches  in  diameter.  The  new  tunnel  will  be 
eleven  feet  six  inches  and  have  thirteen  stations,  and  will 
run  cars  its  whole  length,  seven  miles,  in  half  an  hour.  The 
system  of  building  the  tunnel,  as  described  by  Mr.  Great- 
head  himself,  is  as  follows  : — 

The  tunnels  are  of  cast  iron,  and  are  composed  of  a num- 
ber of  segments  which  are  built  up  and  bolted  together  so 
as  to  form  rings.  Those  rings  are  successively  bolted  to- 
gether, and  in  that  way  a continuous  tube  is  formed  of  iron. 
The  mode  of  placing  these  segments  together  is  this  : There  is 
what  is  called  a shield  composed  of  steel  plates  which  is  smooth 
outside  and  inside,  fitting  over  the  forward  end  of  the  tunnel, 
and  having  in  front  of  the  opening  a cutting  edge,  and  inside 
a number  of  hydraulic  presses.  These  presses  press  against 
the  forward  end  of  the  completed  portion  of  the  tunnel,  and 
as  the  hydraulic  pressure  is  increased  in  these  presses  the 
shield  is  forced  forward,  sliding  upon  the  iron  tunnel,  and 
cutting  out  the  clay  at  the  front  exactly  to  the  outside  di- 
ameter of  the  shield.  The  material  that  is  in  that  wa}'  l)rought 
down  is  brought  back  through  the  opening  in  the  front  of 


32 


the  shield,  and  is  carried  away  through  the  completed  tunnel 
and  up  the  shafts.  Where  the  shield  has  been  advanced  a 
distance  equal  to  the  length  of  one  of  the  rings,  a segment  is 
brought  and  dropped  in  position  outside  the  belt  and  under 
the  cover  of  the  plate.  There  they  are  bolted  together  to 
the  last  ring  completed.  The  shield  is  then  ready  to  press 
forward  again ; but  before  that  is  done  the  space  that  is  left 
by  the  advance  of  the  shield,  which  is  equal  to  its  thickness, 
must  be  filled  up.  This  is  done  by  means  of  a groating 
arrangement  — a groating-pin,  as  it  is  called,  which  forces 
semi-tiuid,  made  of  lime  or  cement,  through  holes  left  in  the 
rings  for  that  purpose,  in  such  a way  as  to  completely  fill  up 
every  space  behind  the  ring.  In  that  way  all  settlement  is 
prevented,  and  the  iron  is  encased  in  a shell  of  cement  about 
an  inch  in  thickness.  By  that  means  each  shield  could 
tunnel  sixteen  feet  a day,  and  with  six  shields  at  work  in 
different  places  the  progress  on  the  South  London  tunnel 
was,  in  six  months,  equal  to  two  and  a quarter  miles  of  ' 
completed  tunnel.  When  they  are  finished  thus  they  are 
complete  for  all  time.  In  order  to  prevent  corrosion  the 
iron  is  dipped  into  a composition  of  tar  while  it  is  hot,  and 
that  forms  a sort  of  varnish  over  the  whole  surface  and 
partly  enters  into  the  iron,  the  coating  on  the  outside  of  the 
iron,  and  protects  it  completely,  while  the  operation  of  tarring 
may  be  repeated  on  the  inside  if  necessary.  The  iron  tube 
is  about  an  inch  in  thickness.  It  is  also  intended  on  the 
new  underground  road  to  cement  the  inside  part  of  the 
tunnel,  which  will  be  a protection  and  will  also  deaden 
sound.  In  building  the  South  London  tunnel  they  en- 
countered water,  but  by  means  of  compressed  air  and  other 
appliances  the  work  was  done  without  any  great  difficulty. 
The  South  London  tunnels  in  some  places  are  only  two  feet 
apart.  The  method  of  ventilation  is  all  produced  by  the 
action  of  the  trains.  They  propel  the  air  before  them,  and 
the  fresh  air  follows  as  a matter  of  course.  The  temper- 
ature is  between  fifty  and  fifty-five  degrees.  The  South 


33 


London  road  was  originally  built  for  a cable-road.  The 
motive  power  is  electricity  on  these  roads,  and  is  generated 
at  a depot  for  the  whole  line,  and  is  carried  by  a main 
conductor  through  the  entire  length  of  the  tunnels.  The 
conductor  is  laid  between  the  rails.  In  addition  to  the  main 
conductor  there  is  a working  conductor  ; that  is,  a naked  con- 
ductor, from  which  the  locomotives  propelling  the  trains 
draw  their  supply  as  they  move  along.  It  is  a steel  chain 
resting  on  glass  insulators.  Those  are  placed  on  the  cross- 
sleepers, and  as  the  locomotives  move  along  they  collect  the 
current  from  the  conductor.  That  conductor  extends  from 
the  main  conductor  throuf^h  the  various  si«:nal-boxes  on  the 
line.  The  system  is  a direct-current  system  with  low  tension. 
The  conductor  forms  one  side  of  the  circuit,  the  rails  the 
other,  assisted  by  a copper  wire. 

The  trains  on  the  new  road  are  to  be  120  tons  in  weight, 
and  will  be  built  after  the  model  of  the  cars  on  the  New  York 
elevated  roads.  It  will  require  18  trains  to  do  a three-min- 
ute service  on  this  line,  and  2,100  electrical  horse-power, 
according  to  Sir  Benjamin  Baker.  The  trains  will  run  at  the 
rate  of  15  miles  an  hour.  The  number  of  passengers  car- 
ried by  the  South  London  road  for  the  half-year  ending  June 
30,  1891,  was  2,412,343,  with  a five-minute  service  and  a 
train  of  three  cars  capable  of  holding  100  persons.  This  road, 
too,  has  found  competition  in  the  penny-omnibus  lines,  and 
the  result  has  been  that  they  have  reduced  their  fares  between 
certain  stations  to  one  penny  during  certain  hours,  with  pe- 
cuniary advantage  to  themselves  ; all  of  which  shows  that 
cheap  fares  are  prized  as  much  as  speed. 

While  I am  on  this  subject  of  tunnels,  I wish  to  describe 

The  Mersey  Tunnel,  Liverpool. 

One  of  the  most  perfectly  constructed  steam-railroad  tun- 
nels is  that  which  runs  under  the  Mersey  from  Liverpool  to 
Birkenhead,  and  is  8,000  feet  in  length  from  shore  to  shore. 
It,  like  the  London  underground,  was  intended  to  accoinmo- 


34 


dnte  local  travel  between  those  towns,  but  it  also  has  connect- 
ed itself  with  the  great  railroads  that  run  south,  east,  and 
west ; so  that  a passenger  can  take  a ticket  at  the  Mersey 
Building,  James  street,  London,  to  any  part  of  Wales,  and 
thence  to  London.  Mr.  Francis  Fox,  the  engineer  of  the 
tunnel,  explained  to  me  its  construction,  and  spent  nearly 
two  hours  in  showing  me  through  it  and  the  pumping- 
stations  connected  with  it.  It  cost  over  two  million  dollars 
per  mile  of  double  track,  and  it  is  one  of  the  most  perfectly 
ventilated  and  perfectly  built  of  tunnels.  Mr.  Francis  Fox 
was  for  many  years  a mining  engineer,  and  simply  applied 
to  a horizontal  shaft  the  system  of  ventilation  used  in  deep 
mines.  There  are  in  reality  three  tunnels  : first,  the  main 
tunnel,  arched  26  feet  wide  and  19  feet  high,  with  two  tracks 
capalde  of  accommodating  the  highest  and  heaviest  coaches  ; 
underneath  the  main  tunnel  is  a water-tunnel,  that  catches  all 
the  water  which  percolates  and  would  settle  on  the  level  of 
the  tunnel ; next,  there  is  an  air^tunnel  7 feet  in  diameter, 
which  runs  along  the  main  tunnel,  and  which  is  connected  in 
the  centre  by  shafts  that  can,  by  means  of  slides,  be  opened 
and  closed  at  pleasure.  Then  at  either  end  of  the  tunnel 
are  immense  pumping-stations,  which  pump  water  from  the 
water- tunnel  at  the  rate  of  8,000  gallons  a minute,  and  by 
means  of  immense  wheels  or  fans,  40  feet  in  diameter,  pump 
air  through  the  air-tunnel  from  the  centre  of  the  main  one. 
The  result  of  all  this  is  that  the  tunnel  is  kept  perfectly  dry  ; 
and  next,  the  foul  air  being  taken  from  its  centre,  a current 
of  fresh  air  is  constantly  flowing  in  from  either  end  of  the 
tunnel,  and  thus  the  close  atmosphere,  oftentimes  filled  with 
carbon,  that  one  experiences  in  the  London  underground 
roads  is  entirely  absent  here.  I submit  a rough  draft  of  the 
tunnel,  — drawn  by  Mr.  Fox  on  my  note-book,  — to  give  an 
idea  of  the  Mersey  tunnel.  I also  inspected  with  him  the 
elevated  road  novv  beinof  built  alon^  the  docks.  He  is  asso- 
ciated  with  Mr.  Greathead  in  buildiim  the  road.  It  is  six 
miles  long,  built  entirel}^  of  iron,  and  its  bed  is  iron-arched, 


'.-t  ^ 


’■K' -:,i 


'NIWER8lfl’l‘njUK^ 


U 

i, 

_ * 

MM 


35 


like  the  arched  ceiling  of  a fire-proof  room.  It  will  cost 
£80,000  per  mile,  and  is  intended  only  for  passengers  who 
travel  along  the  docks,  and  connects  with  no  other  roads. 
The  Mersey  railway,  of  which  this  tunnel  forms  a part, 
was  built  with  the  object  of  connecting  the  railway  systems 
on  each  side  of  the  Mersey,  and  accomplishes  that  which  a 
tunnel  under  the  Hudson  between  New  York  would  in  con- 
nectinof  the  railroads  that  run  into  New  York  with  the  o’reat 
lines  that  have  their  terminus  on  the  elersey  side.  The 
tunnel  was  finished  and  the  road  put  in  operation  in  188G. 
An  idea  of  its  depth  may  be  formed  from  the  fact  that  the 
water  in  the  Mersey  over  the  tunnel  is  100  feet  in  depth  at 
high  tide,  and  the  head  of  the  tunnel  30  feet  below.  Its 
declination  varies  from  one  foot  in  30  feet  to  one  in  900 
feet.  One  admirable  feature  also  is,  that  the  inofoin^f  and 
outcoming  passengers  do  not  pass  each  other  at  the  stations, 
as  in  the  elevated  roads  of  New  York.  The  dias^ram  of  the 
Mersey  tunnel  in  this  report  is  worth  whole  pages  which  I 
might  write  describing  it. 

Paris.  — Its  Railroad  Facilities. 

Paris  has  no  rapid  transit  worthy  the  name,  and  I saw 
nothing  there  which  would  be  of  much  benefit  in  suggesting 
a solution  of  the  rapid-transit  problem,  except  that  its 
omnibuses  and  tramway  cars  stop  at  certain  stations,  which 
is  an  excellent  feature.  Like  all  the  cities  in  Europe,  too, 
when  the  passengers’  seats  are  full,  no  more  are  admitted, 
so  that  everybody  is  seated;  and  by  means  of  a ticket  be- 
ginning with  No.  1,  and  so  along,  which  is  given  at  the 
station,  wlion  a car  comes  along  the  person  having  the  lowest 
number  is  admitted  first,  and  so  from  number  to  number, 
until  the  vehicle  has  its  complement  of  passengers.  There 
is  a belt  steam-line  around  Paris  twenty-five  kilometres  in 
circumference,  and  which  connects  with  all  the  lines  leading 
into  the  city.  It  is  of  very  little  value,  because  it  is  too 
circuitous.  AVhat  Paris  needs,  as  London  does,  is  a line 


36 


through  the  heart  of  the  eity.  But  Parisians  eare  more  for 
the  beauty  of  their  streets  than  for  rapid  transit.  The  fares 
are  three  cents  for  an  outside  and  six  cents  for  an  inside 
ride  on  the  horse-cars  and  ’buses.  The  first  enables  you  to 
ride  a distance  of  about  five  miles,  and  the  last  entitles  you 
to  a transfer  ticket.  The  tramways  and  omnibus  lines  are 
owned  by  one  company,  which  pays  a large  tax  to  the  munic- 
ipality of  Paris  ; but  as  I have  said  before,  neither  in  the 
style  of  cars  nor  the  accommodation  they  afibrd  do  the}^ 
come  up  to  the  street-railroad  cars  in  the  large  cities  of  the 
United  States. 

It  is  in  contemplation  now  to  build  an  underground  road 
in  Paris  on  the  Greathead  plan,  but  as  yet  the  work  has  not 
begun,  but  the  plan  proposes  to  build  it  so  as  to  get  easily 
to  the  business  section  of  the  city.  I herewith  present  a 
railroad  map  of  Paris  showing  the  railroad  circle  round  the 
city,  and  the  different  railroad-stations,  with  their  lines  of 
road . 


Berlin.  — Its  Elevated  Viaduct. 

Of  all  the  railroads  which  I have  seen,  and  which  afford 
facilities  for  urban,  suliurban,  and  also  through  traffic, 
and  in  whose  construction  there  seemed  to  be  a design 
to  transport  travellers  by  the  shortest  route  from  the 
suburbs  to  the  heart  of  the  city,  and  through  the  city 
also,  the  elevated  railroad  of  Berlin  is  unsurpassed.  It 
divides  Berlin  in  halves,  from  east  to  west,  is  about  eight 
miles  in  length,  crosses  the  Spree  three  times,  and  was 
seemingly  built  regardless  of  cost,  and  made  its  own  high- 
way independent  of  existing  streets,  parks,  or  gardens.  It 
is  twenty  feet  above  street  levels,  has  four  tracks,  and  a half- 
dozen  or  more  handsome  stations,  about  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  apart,  with  arched  glass  roofs,  and  cost,  I am  informed, 
over  $2,000,000  per  mile,  including  land  damages.  It  was 
built  in  1881  by  the  government,  which  owns  all  the  railroads 
in  Prussia.  This  road  seems  to  have  solved  the  rapid-transit 


37 


problem  for  Berlin,  for  the  greater  part  of  the  railroads  that 
centre  in  Berlin  run  over  this  road,  so  that  passengers 
travelling  from  Paris  or  Brussels  by  means  of  this  road  can, 
without  leaving  one  of  its  stations,  go  north-east  to  St. 
Petersburg,  north  to  Hamburg,  and  south-east  to  Vienna 
or  Constantinople,  and  vice  versa.  It  has  also  tracks  for 


Railway  Stations 


local  and  suburban  travel,  by  which  people  who  live  on  the 
west  side  of  Berlin,  or  in  the  western  suburbs,  can  go  to  any 
of  the  stations  in  the  direction  of  the  east  or  the  suburbs 
beyond,  without  change  of  cars,  at  intervals  varying  from 
five  minutes  to  fifteen  minutes,  according  to  the  hours 
of  the  day  or  the  nature  of  the  day.  Sunday  is  the  day 
of  amusement  in  Berlin.  I went  to  the  Frederick-street 
station  to  visit  the  Zoological  Garden,  and  see  how  the 


38 


I’ailroad  accommodated  the  immense  throng.  Trains  cnme 
along  every  three  minutes,  yet  it  was  almost  impossil)le  to 
accommodate  the  multitude  that  filled  that  immense  station 
on  their  wa}^  to  the  concert  in  the  Garden.  With  Mr. 
Hudson,  the  correspondent  of  the  "Herald,”  who  accom- 
panied me,  I rode  out  to  the  Garden  in  a carriage,  and 
there  I saw  at  least  30,000  people,  nearly  all  of  whom 
were  transported  over  this  road,  for  one  of  its  stations  is  in 
the  Garden.  They  came  from  the  city  and  suburbs  over 
this  line.  I watched  in  the  evening,  at  the  station,  their 
return.  The  crowds  began  to  leave  the  Garden  about  seven, 
and  there  was  a constant  stream  of  passengers  every  two  or 
three  minutes  crowding  the  long  trains,  and  the  cars  were  as 
filled  as  picnic  trains  with  us.  There  was  scarcely  stand- 
ing room.  This  railroad  is  a very  solid  one,  built  of  iron, 
stone,  and  brick.  I walked  alonij  it  for  over  four  miles.  It 
never  runs  through  the  middle  of  a street,  but  very  often 
forms  one  side  of  a street.  Where  that  is  the  case  it  has  a 
sidewalk  along  it,  and  the  Roman  arches  are  filled  in  with 
hard-pressed,  cream-colored  brick,  with  windows  like  the 
windows  of  a Gothic  church,  presenting  a rather  pleasing 
ap})earance.  It  is  like  the  first  story  of  a house.  I noticed 
that  on  the  other  side  were  what  appeared  handsome  apart- 
ment-houses, as  for  instance  near  the  Frederick-street 
station,  so  that  the  elevated  road  did  not  seem  to  interfere 
much  with  the  comfort  of  the  well-to-do  citizens  of  Berlin. 
The  spaces  under  the  viaduct  are  not  much  rented  except  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  stations.  In  addition  to  the  magnifi- 
cent road,  Berlin  has  a belt  line  which  circles  the  city  like 
the  belt  line  in  Paris,  and  conneets  with  every  railroad  that 
runs  into  Berlin.  The  viaduct  extends  practically  from 
Charlottenberg  in  the  west  to  the  Schlessiseher  station  in  the 
east.  One  thing  I noticed  in  travelling  over  the  railroad  from 
Paris  to  Berlin especially  in  German  territory,  was — that 
when  a railroad  entered  the  town  it  became  an  elevated  one,  all 
the  streets  running  under  it,  and  that,  too,  for  a long  distance. 


39 


as  in  Hanover  and  Cologne  and  Aix-la-Chapelle.  By  means 
of  the  viaduct  and  the  ring  line  around  Berlin,  its  citizens  and 
suburban  residents  seem  to  be  better  supplied  with  rapid  and 
cheap  transit  than  any  other  city  in  the  world.  Its  horse-car 
and  omnibus  accommodations,  too,  are  good,  though  I cannot 
praise  their  style  ; but  they  run  in  every  direction,  and,  taken 
altogether,  Berlin  seems  to  have  solved  the  problem  of 
rapid  transit.  Mr.  Hudson,  of  the  " Herald,”  whom  I met 
by  accident  in  Berlin,  and  who  with  me  performed  four  or 
five  hours’  pedestrianism  in  examining  the  elevated  road 
of  Berlin  and  its  stations,  and  exchanging  ideas  as  to  its 
uses,  has  so  well  described  this  road  that  I cannot  refrain 
from  making  his  letter  to  the  Boston  " Sunday  Herald  ” 
part  of  this  report,  marked  Appendix.  In  addition,  I 
present  a railroad  map  of  Berlin,  by  which  the  Commission 
can  see  at  a glance  the  relation  which  the  viaduct  road,  the 
ring  road,  and  the  various  roads  that  centre  in  Berlin  bear 
to  each  other.  I also  present  herewith,  for  a more  extended 
description  of  this  important  railroad,  a book  entitled  ” The 
Construction  of  the  City  Railroad  of  Berlin.”  It  illustrates 
admirably  and  in  detail  the  workmanship  of  the  road,  ijiclud- 
ing  bridges,  arches,  stations,  architectural  and  engineering 
advantages,  so  that  the  Commission  can,  by  looking  at  its 
numerously  illustrated  pages,  get  a fair  idea  of  this  cele- 
brated. railroad. 


Conclusion. 

Having  thus  given,  in  as  brief  a space  as  possilde,  a 
description  of  the  street-car  system  of  the  cities  of  Europe 
which  I visited,  also  of  the  underground,  steam,  and  electric 
system  of  London,  as  well  as  that  of  the  great  viaduct  road 
in  Berlin,  I will  conclude  by  giving  my  impressions  of  these 
roads,  especially  the  underground  roads  of  London  and  the 
elevated  road  of  Berlin. 

In  connection  with  the  street-cars,  the  cheap  fare  for 
short-distance  travel  impressed  me  very  much,  and  the 


40 


testimony  of  those  connected  with  street -car  management 
invariably  was,  that  it  increased  travel  and  benefited  both 
the  public  and  the  railroad  corporations.  The  ordinance,  too, 
in  prohibiting  the  loading  and  unloading  of  heavy  teams  in 
the  business  streets  of  London  during  certain  hours  of  the 
day,  has  much  to  do  with  the  smoothness  by  which  travel  is 
facilitated,  notwithstanding  the  enormous  number  of  omni- 
buses and  cabs  that  move  in  an  unbi-oken  procession  along 
the  streets  of  London  If  a like  ordinance  were  in  operation 
here,  and  applied  to  Washington  and  Tremont  streets,  much 
of  the  congestion  which  now  prevails  would  be  lessened. 
AVho  has  not  experienced  the  frequent  delays  that  occur  on 
the  streets  mentioned,  by  the  unloading  of  safes,  coal,  and 
flagstones,  and  the  keen  delight  which  often  beams  on  the 
faces  of  the  drivers  of  these  heavy  teams,  feeling  that  they 
can  retaliate  on  the  horse-car  conductor  and  driver  for  bein«: 
so  often  obliged  to  leave  the  track?  Slow  and  heavy  teams 
are  seldom  seen  on  the  crowded  thoroughfares  of  London. 

The  electric  underground  railroad  of  London,  I must  con- 
fess, though  it  be  treason  perhaps  to  say  so,  did  not  impress 
me  favorably  as  a passenger  travelling  along  it,  and  that 
impression  was  shared  by  nearly  every  person  to  whom  I 
spoke  in  my  desire  to  get  the  ordinary"  passengers’  views 
about  it.  I went  to  London  to  inspect  it,  and,  with  a par- 
tiality rather  in  its  hivor,  I rode  through  it  a dozen  times 
or  more.  By  the  courtesy  of  the  officers  I inspected  it  from 
a rear  platform  by  the  aid  of  a lamp,  and  the  oftener  I 
travelled  over  the  road  the  less  favorably  it  impressed  me 
as  a system  for  Boston.  I found  that  the  air  is  fresh  enough 
in  the  tunnel,  with  a temperature  of  fifty  degrees  ; that  the 
cars  are  invariably  closely  shut  to  exclude  the  great  draught, 
and  the  air  in  them  is  not  good.  This  keeping  of  windows 
and  doors  closed  is  necessitated  by  the  great  draught  which 
the  single-track  tunnel  has.  Then,  in  addition,  there  is  a 
noise  like  the  roaring  of  the  ocean  mingling  with  that  which 
electric  cars  usually  give,  making  the  short  trip  of  one- 


41 


quarter  of  an  hour  a very  disagreeable  one  indeed.  I asked 
the  engineer  if  it  were  possible  to  do  away  with  the  sound. 
He  answered,  of  course,  no;  but  it  could  be  lessened  by 
lining  the  tunnel  with  some  substance  that  absorbs  sound. 
If  such  a tunnel  were  built  in  Boston  the  temperature  in  it, 
I am  informed  by  our  engineer,  would  be  fifty  degrees  — 
not  a very  inviting  place  for  delicate  persons  on  a summer’s 
day,  with  the  thermometer  outside  in  the  nineties. 

As  a piece  of  engineering  I presume  it  is  perfection,  but 
as  a mode  of  conveying  human  beings  from  one  part  of  a 
great  city  to  another  I should  much  prefer  some  other 
method,  and  some  other  feeling  when  travelling  than  the 
buried-alive  feeling  which  one  experiences  in  this  tunnel. 
The  underground  District  railroad  of  London  is  entirely 
different.  To  be  sure,  the  odor  of  gas  is  sometimes  around, 
l)ut  a gleam  of  light  comes  in  every  few  minutes.  It  is 
double-tracked,  leaving  plenty  of  space  for  air.  It  has  open 
s[)aces  wherever  they  can  be  got.  It  is  near  the  surface,  the 
temperature  of  the  tunnel  is  about  the  same  as  that  of  the 
outside  air,  there  is  no  intense  wave-sound,  and  one  feels  in 
ridin"  throuo'h  it  much  more  comfortable  than  when  travel- 
limj  throuofh  the  tunnel  of  the  New  York  &,  New  Haven 
road  in  the  city  of  New  York.  One  great  feature  of  this 
road,  too,  is  that  it  affords  its  patrons  the  opportunity  of 
connecting  with  nearly  all  the  great  railroads  that  go  out  of 
London.  In  addition,  it  enables  a person  living  ten  or  more 
miles  in  an  eastern  suburb  of  London  to  travel  to  any  part  of 
London  in  a westerly  direction,  or  to  a western  suburb  ten 
miles  outside,  without  change  of  cars.  What  this  under- 
ground system  does  for  London,  the  viaduct  system  of 
Berlin  does  more  completely  for  that  city.  By  how  much 
light  is  above  darkness  for  a traveller,  in  the  same  measure 
is  the  railroad  viaduct  of  Berlin  above  and  beyond  any  of 
the  other  modes  of  conveyance  which  I have  seen.  But  its 
perfection  is  not  alone  in  its  workmanship  and  its  elegant 
stations  and  the  fact  that  it  is  in  the  sunshine  ; but  it  con- 


42 


sists  also  in  the  facilities  it  affords  for  travelling  in  any 
direction  east  and  west,  and  to  any  part  of  Europe,  without 
leaving  the  line  of  this  road,  thus  not  only  giving  the  citi- 
zens of  Berlin  easy,  cheap,  and  rapid  transit,  but  forming  a 
direct  line  of  communication  between  the  great  railroads  of 
the  German  Empire.  If  Boston  had  such  a road,  the  people 
who  live  in  its  northern  suburbs  or  in  northern  New  Eng- 
land would  come  from  their  respective  homes  to  one  central 
station  on  the  north  side  of  Boston,  and  travel  over  this 
viaduct  road,  which  would  have  three  or  four  stations  in  the 
city  and  near  the  business  streets,  and  would  connect  at  a 
central  station  on  the  south  side  with  the  southerly  roads, 
and  could  go  to  any  southern  or  western  suburb,  or  hirther 
south  or  west,  thus  avoiding  the  necessity  of  buying  tick- 
ets two  or  three  times,  of  changing  baggage,  or  of  travelling 
across  the  town.  The  German  Empire  built  the  road  I have 
described.  I am  much  afraid  no  private  corporation  could 
attbrd  to  build  such  a road  here,  but  if  built,  no  matter  by 
whom,  nobody  will  deny  that  it  would  be  of  inestimable 
advantage  to  the  people  of  Boston  and  its  suburbs,  and 
would  solve  a great  part  of  the  rapid-transit  question  with 
which  we  have  to  deal.  I refrain  from  saying  anything 
further  in  relation  to  the  needs  of  the  city  and  suburbs,  as 
that  would  be  forestalling  the  action  of  the  Commission  of 
which  I am  a member;  for  I feel  sure  whatever  will  be  rec- 
ommended will  not  be  a mere  temporary  expedient,  but 
something  that  will  be  for  the  future  too,  and  that  will  ben- 
efit every  section  of  the  city  and  every  suburb  around  it. 

With  an  increase  of  steam-railroad  travel  in  and  out  of 
the  city  from  20,000,000  in  1881  to  51,000,000  in  1891, 
an  increase  of  horse-car  travel  for  the  same  period  from 
49,000,000  to  114,000,000,  with  an  increase  in  population 
in  Boston  and  it^  suburbs  for  the  same  period  from  450,000 
to  860,000,  with  the  enormous  increase  of  travel  in  our 
public  streets,  especially  AYashington  and  Tremont  streets 
from  Boylston  to  Court  streets,  — great  as  that  of  any  street 


43 


ill  London,  Paris,  or  Berlin,  — something  should  be  done, 
not  for  to-day  alone,  but  for  the  greater  Boston  of  the 
future.  With  this  report,  and  making  part  of  it,  I 
submit : — 

''The  Tramway  Act  of  1870  for  Great  Britain.” 

The  returns  of  all  street  and  road  tramways  in  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland  down  to  June  30,  1888,  giving  the 
gross  receipts,  net  receipts,  working  expenditures,  number 
of  passengers  conveyed,  and  number  of  miles  of  road 
operated. 

A full  description  of  the  City  and  South  London  Kailway 
(underground  electric)  ; also  the  report  of  the  directors  of 
the  road  for  the  half-year  ending  June  30,  1891. 

The  last  yearly  report  of  the  Metropolitan  District  Rail- 
road of  London,  together  with  a map  of  the  same,  and  its 
time-table. 

The  act  of  Parliament,  1891,  Vic.,  chap.  54  and  55,  in- 
corporating " The  Central  London  Railway  Company  ” to 
construct  underground  railways  from  Shepherd’s  Bush  to  the 
city  of  London,  together  with  a printed  report  of  the  par- 
liamentary hearings  on  the  subject,  containing  the  evidence 
of  Mr.  James  Greathead  and  other  eminent  engineers  on 
underground  and  electric  railroads,  which  I obtained  with 
great  difficulty,  through  the  efforts  of  a member  of  Parlia- 
ment. 

I also  submit  a pamphlet  giving  a full  and  illustrated 
description  of  the  Mersey  tunnel,  together  with  various 
charts  and  maps  of  London,  Paris,  and  Berlin,  with  their 
railroads. 

JOHN  E.  FITZGERALD, 

Hapid  Transit  Commissioner, 


APPENDIX 


BEELIN’S  CITY  RAILAVAY. 


ITS  VIADUCT  FOUR-TRACK  SYSTEM,  AND  HOW  IT 
IS  OPERATED. 


FIVE  HUNDRED  TRAINS  A DAY,  FIVE-MILE  RIDE  FOR  TWO 
AND  ONE-HALF  CENTS,  THE  STATIONS  AND  EXCELLENT 
METHOD  OF  HANDLING  TRAFFIC,  NO  CONFUSION,  SPACES 
UNDER  THE  ARCHES  USED  FOR  SHOPS,  RESTAURANTS, 
ETC. 


{Special  Correspondent  to Boston  Herald.’^) 

Berlin,  September  12,  1891. 

I confess  to  feeling  a certain  surprise  that,  having  come  to 
Berlin  to  procure  for  the  readers  of  the  “■  Herald  ” some  informa- 
tion concerning  its  internal  railway  facilities,  I should  on  a pre- 
vious visit  have  learned  so  little  in  regard  to  the  Beilin  Stadtbahn, 
which  is  undoubtedly  the  most  extensive  and  costly,  as  well  as  the 
most  useful,  city  railroad  in  the  world.  It  performs  for  Berlin 
the  same  service  which  the  Metropolitan  underground  railroad 
does  for  London  (and  vastly  more),  and  it  does  the  business  in  a 
much  more  satisfactory  way. 

The  more  I have  studied  the  relations  of  this  railroad  to  the 
growth  of  Berlin,  and  to  the  other  railway  systems  which  centre 
here,  the  more  interesting  and  suggestive  the  Stadtbahn  has  seemed 
to  me. 

I cannot  help  believing  that  if  all  the  people  in  Boston  could 
live  for  three  months  in  Berlin  they  would  speedily  resolve  to 
have  a Stadtbahn  of  their  own. 


46 


I will  endeavor,  with  the  aid  of  a series  of  photographs,  to  give 
the  “ Herald  ” readers  as  clear  an  idea  of  this  remarkable  railway 
line  and  the  work  which  it  does  for  the  German  metropolis  as  can 
be  obtained  without  taking  up  one’s  residence  here. 

I shall  best  begin  my  account  of  the  great  viaduct  four-track 
railway  in  Berlin  if  I indicate  what  an  equivalent  structure  and 
service  would  do  for  the  city  of  Boston. 

This  great  viaduct  in  Berlin  passes  through  the  very  heart  of 
the  town,  as  I have  somewhat  briefly  described  in  a previous 
letter. 

Now  let  us  suppose  that  all  tlie  railroads  that  enter  the  city  of 
Boston  came  in  on  elevated  ways.  Suppose  that  all  the  northern 
lines  except  the  Fitchburg  were  brought  together  in  one  elevated 
station  on  the  north  or  south  bank  of  the  Charles  river  on  the 
north  side  of  the  city. 

Then  suppose  that  this  station,  instead  of  being  a terminal 
station,  was  open  at  both  ends,  and  from  its  southern  end  a 
viaduct  wide  enough  to  carry  four  tracks  was  built  around  the  city 
by  the  banks  of  the  Charles  river  to  the  nearest  point  to  the 
entrance  of  Chailes  street,  between  the  Common  and  the  Public 
Garden.  Then  imagine  this  viaduct  continued  over  Charles  street, 
between  the  Common  and  Public  Garden,  to  Park  square. 

Then  suppose  the  Boston  & Albany  and  Old  Colony  lines  to  be 
bunched  on  a single  elevated  line  somewhere  south  of  the  Park- 
square  station.  It  would  then  be  possible  for  trains  to  be  run 
through  without  breaking  from  the  Eastern,  Boston  & Maine,  and 
Lowell  lines  to  Providence,  New  York,  Newport,  and  all  other 
points  on  the  southern  lines,  and  vice  versa  from  southern  points 
to  Portsmouth,  Portland,  Lowell,  and  Concord  on  the  northern 
lines.  This  would  occupy  two  of  the  tracks  on  the  viaduct  railway. 

Then  suppose,  further,  that  a certain  number  of  trains  ran  back 
and  forth  from  the  northern  elevated  station  to  Park  square,  or, 
perhaps,  some  station  farther  out  in  Roxbury. 

Again,  suppose  that  another  set  of  trains  started  from  the 
northern  station  and  ran  through  the  city,  out  over  the  Boston  & 
Albany  line  to  the  Grand  Junction  railway,  and  around  to  the 
northern  station,  making  the  circuit ; the  same  number  of  trains 
to  be  run  in  the  opposite  direction. 

One  more  set  of  trains  remains  to  be  named ; viz.,  trains  to  run 
from  Lynn  and  other  suburban  cities  on  the  north  side  as  far  as 


47 


Qiiinc}^  Dedham,  and  the  Newtons  on  the  south  and  west,  and 
vice  versa. 

If  Boston  had  such  a railway  service  as  this,  it  would  have 
something  resembling  what  Berlin  has  in  its  “Stadtbahn.” 

The  accompanying  map  should  be  carefully  studied  by  any 
person  desiring  to  understand  the  railway  system  of  Berlin. 


Railway  Stations 

i(j\ 


It  may  be  described  as  follows  : — 

The  Stadtbahn,  with  thiiteen  stations:  — 


1.  West  End  station. 

2.  Charlottenberg. 

3.  Zoological  Garden. 

4.  Thiergarten  station. 

5.  Bellevue  station. 

0.  Lehrter  station. 

7.  Fi  iedrichstrasse  station 


8.  Boerse  station. 

9.  Alexander  Platz  station. 

10.  Jannowitz  Bridge  station. 

11.  Schlessischer  station. 

12.  Warsaw  station. 

13.  Stralau  station. 


48 


The  Ringbahn,  with  16  stations  : — 


13.  Stralau  station. 

14.  Friedriclisberg  station. 

15.  Central  Cattle  station. 

16.  Weissensee  station. 

17.  Schonhauser  station. 

18.  Mineral  Water  station. 

19.  Wedding  station. 

20.  Moabit  station. 


21.  West  End  station. 

22.  Halensee  station. 

23.  Schniargendorf  station. 

24.  Wilinersdorf  station. 

25.  Schoneberg  station. 

26.  Tempelhof  station. 

27.  Rixdorf  station. 

28.  Treptow  station. 


Five  great  terminal  stations  independent  of  the  Ringbahn  and 
Stadtbahn : — 

1.  Anhalt  station  on  the  Ascanisher  platz,  for  Dresden,  Prague, 
Vienna,  Leipsic,  Halle,  Thuringia,  and  Frankfort-on-the-Main. 

2.  Potsdam  station,  Potsdarner  platz,  for  Potsdam,  Magde- 
burg, The  Harz,  the  lower  Rhine,  Cassel,  Frankfort,  Coblenz, 
Treves,  and  Metz. 

3.  Stettin  station,  Invaliden  strasse,  for  Copenhagen,  Stock- 
holm, Stettin,  and  Dantsic. 

4.  Gorlitz  station,  Wiener  strasse,  for  the  Spreewold,  Cottbus, 
Gorlitz,  and  the  Giant  mountains. 

5.  Lehrte  or  Hanoverian  station,  near  the  Alsenbrucke,  for 
Hanover,  Cologne,  Paris,  Bremen,  Hamburg,  Mecklenburg,  and 
Holstein. 

It  would  obviously  not  be  possible  to  convey  the  passenger 
traffic  of  a city  of  a million  and  a half  of  people  through  one 
station  or  set  of  stations.  Stadtbahn  was  primarily  intended  to 
relieve  the  streets  of  Berlin,  but  it  was  found  possible  to  utilize  it 
for  general  traffic,  and  I find  on  investigation  that  while  on  the 
northern  pair  of  tracks  there  are  handled  every  day  320  purely 
local  trains,  the  other  pair  of  tracks  afford  facilities  for  166  trains 
going  to  or  arriving  from  places  outside  the  cit}"  of  Berlin.  Here 
is  a total  train-service  of  486  trains  each  day,  to  all  of  which  ac- 
cess may  be  had  from  a number  of  stations  in  the  heart  of  Berlin. 
Let  ns  now  pa}^  ^a  visit  to  the  Friedrichstrasse  station,  which  is 
located  at  the  most  central  point  on  the  line,  and  from  which  more 
people  depart  every  day  than  from  any  other  station. 

The  large  picture  of  the  Friedrichstrasse  station  could  be  im- 
proved. We  look  right  through  the  station  and  see  how  it  is 
built.  The  walls  are  not  straight  because  the  line  curves  sharply 


49 


at  this  point ; but  this  does  not  injure  the  appearance  of  the 
structure,  which  shows  a careful  attention  to  details  in  the  exterior 
design.  With  so  ranch  glass  at  both  ends,  it  was  unnecessary  to 
insert  glass  in  the  roof,  which  is  of  metal,  and  shows  almost  a full 
circular  curve  in  its  elevation. 

The  fine  quality  of  the  brickwork  of  the  viaduct  and  the  elab- 
orate ornamentation  of  the  faqades  under  the  arches  come  out 
strongly  in  this  picture.  It  should  be  said  that  while  the  viaduct 
touches  the  wall  of  a private  building  on  the  north  side  (east  side 
of  Friedrichstrasse),  its  southern  side  here  faces  on  abroad  and 
well-paved  street,  upon  which  have  been  built  up  within  the  past 
ten  years  as  handsome  five-story  structures  as  can  be  found  in 
Berlin. 

If  we  now  buy  a ticket  (for  two  and  one-half  cents)  to 
some  point  on  the  line,  and  ascend  to  the  train  platform,  we  stop 
there  as  long  as  we  like  and  witness  the  operations  of  the  service. 
Selecting  an  hour  in  the  day  when  there  was  no  especial  rush  of 
passengers,  I counted  the  number  of  passengers  who  entered  during 
five  minutes,  and  found  it  to  be  a little  short  of  100.  During  the 
following  five  minutes  I counted  the  number  of  departures.  An 
eastward  train  deposited  25  passengers  and  a westward  train  45. 
Now  take  a look  at  the  time-table  of  the  line.  Here  are  — 

118  trains,  running  through  the  Friedrichstrasse  station  at  inter- 
vals of  10  minutes  from  Charlottenberg  to  the  Schleswig 
station  between  the  hours  of  5 A.M.  and  12  P.M.  ; 37  of 
these  trains  come  into  Charlottenberg  from  Potsdam ; 87 
go  on  to  points  beyond  the  Schleswig  station. 

118  trains,  same  service,  in  opposite  direction. 

19  trains,  coming  from  Charlottenberg,  pass  through  the  Fried- 
richstrasse station,  and  go  on  to  Treptow  and  points  be- 
yond. 

19  trains,  same  service,  in  opposite  direction. 

14  trains  from  West  End  to  Gruenwald. 

14  trains,  same  service,  in  opposite  direction. 

9 trains  from  the  Schleswig  station  between  4 :06  A.M.  and 
5 .T1  A.M.  in  the  direction  of  Stralau,  Rummelsberg,  and 
the  Nording. 

9 trains,  same  service,  in  the  opposite  direction. 

320  trains  on  local  tracks. 


50 


14  trains  from  the  Potsdam  station  by  the  South  Ring  to  Gruen- 
wald. 

14  trains,  same  service,  in  opposite  direction. 

42  trains  from  Charlottenberg  through  the*  Friedrichstrasse 
station  to  Stralau  Riimmelsberg. 

42  trains,  same  service,  in  opposite  direction. 

14  trains  from  Charlottenberg  eastward  through  the  Friedrich- 
strasse to  Frankfort-on-the-Oder.  Seven  of  these  go  to 
Breslau  and  one  goes  through  to  Constantinople. 

14  trains,  same  service,  in  opposite  direction. 

8 trains  from  Charlottenberg  through  the  Friedrichstrasse  to 
Koenz,  Bromberg,  and  Koenigsberg. 

8 trains,  same  service,  in  opposite  direction. 

5 trains  from  Charlottenberg  through  the  Friedrichstrasse  to 
Goelitz. 

5 trains,  same  service,  in  opposite  direction. 

4 trains  from*Schleswig  station  westward  through  the  Friedrich- 
strasse to  Stendal  and  Hanover.  Two  of  these  go  through 
to  Paris. 

4 trains,  same  service,  in  opposite  direction. 

3 trains  from  the  Schleswig  station  westward  through  the  Fried- 
richstrasse to  Potsdam  and  Magdeburg,  making  connection 
through  to  Paris. 

3 trains,  same  service,  in  opposite  direction. 

3 trains  from  Schleswig  station  through  the  Friedrichstrasse  to 
Nordhausen.  Two  of  these  go  to  Frankfort-on-the-Main 
and  one  to  Metz. 

3 trains,  same  service,  in  the  opposite  direction. 

4 trains  from  Schleswig  station  through  the  Friedrichstrasse  to 

Erkner,  etc. 

4 trains,  same  service,  in  the  opposite  direction. 

166  trains  through  service. 

The  second  picture  of  the  Friedrichstrasse  station,  showing  the 
curved  southern  fa9ade,  almost  tells  its  own  story.  Here  are  the 
entrances  for  passengers  going  to  or  coming  from  places  outside 
of  Berlin,  and  a vast  tide  of  travel  flows  through  these  portals 
every  day.  Here  are  the  passengers’  waiting-rooms,  the  ticket- 
offices,  the  baggage-rooms,  and  all  accessories  of  a great  railway 
station.  Huge  hydraulic  elevators  lift  the  trunks  and  boxes  of 


51 


the  travelling  public  to  the  level  of  the  trains  overhead,  and  the 
German  post-office  department  requires  a great  deal  of  space,  for 
much  of  the  Berlin  matter  is  handled  at  the  Friedrichstrasse. 

I counted  nine  windows  in  a row  at  which  tickets  are  sold  to  the 
through  passengers  at  this  station,  which  will  give  you  an  idea  of 
the  provision  which  is  made  for  accommodating  the  public  here. 
The  entrance  for  ‘local  passengers  is  on  the  north  side  of  the  sta- 
tion from  the  Friedrichstrasse,  and  here  there  are  only  two  or  three 
windows  for  the  sale  of  tickets,  which  is  not  enough  to  accommo- 
date the  crowds  that  flock  there.  Still  there  is  less  time  consumed 
in  giving  change,  more  tickets  are  sold  to  one  person  than  on  the 
through  line.  When  Mr.  Fitzgerald  and  I went  there  on  Sunday 
morning,  we  found  the  entrance  clogged  with  people,  and  were 
told  that  the  sale  of  tickets  had  been  temporarily  suspended  be- 
cause more  people  had  accumulated  on  the  platform  above  than 
the  trains  could  carry,  for  the  time  being.  This  delay,  of  course, 
lasted  only  a short  time. 

The  Stadtbahn  is  about  eight  miles  in  length,  — five  miles  being  a 
viaduct  of  brick  arches  and  one  mile  of  iron  trestle-work.  The 
railway  crosses  the  Spree  three  times,  and  the  canals  that  connect 
with  the  Spree,  a good  many  more  times.  There  are  no  less  than 
sixty-six  bridges  over  streets  and  watercourses.  One  mile  of  the 
road  was  built  on  the  filled-in  bed  of  the  old  city  moat.  Part  of 
the  line  is  built  on  arches  rising  directly  from  the  river-bed.  At 
different  points  a great  many  buildings  had  to  be  pulled  down  to 
make  way  for  the  viaduct. 

Let  us  go  over  the  line,  starting  at  the  Schlessischer  station,  where 
the  viaduct  begins,  in  the  eastern  section  of  the  city.  The  viaduct 
is  built  to  the  next  station,  at  the  .Jannowitz  bridge,  partly  through 
territory  that  was  entirely  covered  with  buildings,  and  partly  in  the 
river-bed.  It  penetrates  two  solidly  built-up  blocks,  passing  to 
the  rear  of  the  buildings  on  Breslaver  street,  then  crosses  Holz- 
market  street  and  strikes  the  river.  At  , this  point  are  the  great 
wood,  brick,  and  stone  yards  of  the  city,  and  many  of  the  arches 
between  the  Schleswig  station  and  the  river  are  left  open,  and  are 
used  as  a part  of  these  great  wood  and  brick  yards.  The  great 
English  gas-establishment  of  Berlin  is  also  near  the  line  where 
it  touches  the  river.  After  crossing  the  Jannowitz  bridge  the 
road  curves  to  the  right  and  follows  the  line  of  the  old  moat,  and 


52 


here  there  was  an  opportunity  to  create  a wide  street  on  each  side 
of  the  viaduct. 

Then  we  come  to  the  Alexander  Platz  station,  which  is  a sort  of 
grand  central  station  for  north-eastern  Berlin.  Adjacent  to  this  is 
the  great  central  market  of  Berlin,  the  vastest  place  of  the  sort  I 
have  ever  seen.  Here  the  Stadtbahn  is  only  four  or  five  minutes’ 
walk  from  the  Rathhaus,  or  City  Hall,  the  principal  post-office,  the 
Emperor’s  residence,  and  many  of  the  most  important  buildings  in 
the  city.  The  central  police-building,  which  really  seems  to  me 
the  most  enormous  structure  in  all  Berlin,  is  very  near  the  Alexan- 
der Platz  station. 

After  leaving  the  station  the  line  makes  a great  bend  to  the  left, 
still  passing  through  old  Berlin,”  and  presentl}^  we  come  to  the 
Bourse  station,  so  called  because  the  Berlin  Stock  Exchange  is  the 
nearest  building  of  importance.  At  this  station  we  come  very  near 
to  the  “ Dom,”  as  the  Royal  Lutheran  Church  is  called,  and  the 
grand  art  museum  of  Berlin.  Then,  crossing  two  streets  where 
there  is  an  immense  tide  of  travel,  the  viaduct  penetrates  a solid 
block  of  buildings,  crosses  the  Spree  directly  in  the  rear  of  the 
National  Gallery,  and  passes  Ihrougli  an  old  quarter  of  the  city  to 
the  Friedrichstrasse. 

A handsomely  built-up  street  runs  along  the  viaduct  here  on  its 
southern  side,  and  at  this  point  the  railway  is  parallel  to  Unter 
den  Linden  and  very  near  it.  Then  we  go  over  the  Spree  again, 
and  the  line  curves  around  to  the  right,  making  a dkour  in  order 
to  pass  at  the  rear  of  the  great  Lehrte  terminal  station  and  to  pass 
through  the  grounds  of  the  exhibition  buildings,  where  each  year 
Berlin  has  some  sort  of  a great  show,  which  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  the  people  visit.  This  year  it  has  been  the  International  Art 
Exhibitions,  and  there  is  a passage  from  the  Stadtbahn  station  at 
this  point  directly  to  the  exhibition  buildings. 

Then  the  line  continues  to  the  south-west,  the  viaduct  closing 
the  left  side  of  a great  street,  Luneberger  street,  upon  which  is 
as  handsome  a continuous  line  of  five-story  buildings  as  can  be 
found  in  the  city. 

We  next  made  another  diagonal  passage  over  the  Spree,  and 
bring  up  at  the  Bellevue  station.  Here  is  another  curve,  and  the 
line  turns  to  the  southward,  going  through  blocks  of  buildings  and 
along  the  sides  of  streets  until  we  come  to  the  station  at  the  side 
of  the  Thiergarten,  Berlin’s  principal  city  park.  The  viaduct 


53 


really  does  not  extend  for  a great  distance  through  the  park,  as 
we  soon  come  to  Hippodrome,  and  then  to  the  Zoological  Garden, 
the  great  popular  resort  for  the  average  Berliner,  especially  the 
women  and  the  young  people  of  both  sexes.  In  this  great  estab- 
lishment from  50,000  to  100,000  people  frequently  gather  on  a 
single  afternoon,  and  on  every  pleasant  day  there  are  not  less  than 
15,000  there  to  listen  to  the  two  military  bands,  which  discourse 
as  good  music  as  Germany  affords.  Of  course,  such  crowds  could 
not  readil}’  gather  and  disperse  without  the  Stadtbahn. 

The  picture  of  the  Alexander  Platz  station  printed  herewith 
gives  a very  good  view  of  the  most  important  stations  on  the  Stadt- 
bahn line.  It  is  in  the  heart  of  old  Berlin,  and  not  far  from  the 
Rathhaus.  It  stands  close  to  Konigstrasse,  a great  thoroughfare 
leading  down  to  the  Emperor’s  castle.  Its  architecture  is  more 
ornate  than  that  of  most  of  the  stations.  A very  good  view  of  the 
elevated  structure  that  spans  the  street  is  obtained  at  the  left. 
This  station  is  especially  remarkable  because  it  adjoins  the  great 
Central  market  of  Berlin,  and  the  supplies  for  this  market  are 
brought  in  from  the  country  on  the  Stadtbahn.  In  another  letter 
I shall  give  you  a fuller  account  of  the  manner  in  which  the  market 
supplies  of  central  Berlin  are  handled  at  the  Alexander  Platz 
station. 

The  Stadtbahn’s  cost  was  70,000,000  marks,  nearly  $18,000,- 
000,  and  of  course  was  not  intended  to  pay  dividends.  The  enter- 
prise was  begun  with  a capital  of  10,000,000  thalers  (a  thaler  is 
about  seventy-five  cents),  of  which  the  government  contributed 
7,000,000,  or  nearly  one-half ; the  German  Railway  Construction 
Company,  engaged  in  developing  the  suburbs  of  Berlin,  4,000,- 
000  ; three  of  the  great  railway  lines,  5,000,000.  In  1872  the 
German  government  appropriated  120,000,000  marks  to  be  used 
in  building  railways  for  strategetical  purposes,  and  it  is  admitted 
that  the  object  of  the  government  in  making  this  appropriation  of 
nearly  $6,000,000  was  to  enable  troops  to  be  despatched  with 
great  rapidity  to  and  from  and  through  the  city  of  Berlin.  Now, 
with  the  aid  of  the  Ringbahn,  there  may  be  said  to  be  three  con- 
necting lines  by  which  armies  gathered  from  the  country  north  and 
east  of  Berlin  could  be  carried  through  the  city,  without  leaving 
their  railway  trains,  and  despatched  Franceward.  The  limit  to 
the  trans[)ortation  facilities  would  not  be  the  railway  system  of 
Berlin,  but  the  capacity  of  the  main  line.  A whole  army  corps 


54 


could  be  moved  through  the  heart  of  Berlin  in  a single  night, 
and  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  know  nothing  about  it. 

But  whatever  interest  the  State  may  have  had  in  the  matter,  it 
is  evident  to  any  one  who  spends  a day  upon  the  Stadtbahn  that 
it  plays  a tremendous  part  in  the  life  of  Berlin.  Here  are  nearly 
500  trains  going  to  and  fro  on  this  great  four-track  railway  above 
the  streets  and  canals  of  the  city.  Each  train  consists  of  at 
least  eight  coaches,  with  five  compartments  providing  seats  for 
eight  persons  in  each  compartment.  Most  of  the  time  from 
twelve  to  fifteen  persons  crowd  into  each  compartment,  and  at  the 
Fried richstrasse  station  I observed  that  there  is  a scramble  for 
places  in  nearly  every  train.  Thus,  instead  of  carrying  300  pas- 
sengers, many  of  the  274  local  trains  that  pass  daily  through  the 
Friedrichstrasse  station  probably  carry  1,000.  The  166  trains  that 
we  should  call  “ through  trains”  running  on  the  other  two  tracks 
may  easily  average  500  passengers  each.  Here,  therefore,  is  a 
carrying  capacity  of  over  350,000  for  each  da}’  in  the  year,  and 
the  number  of  trains  could  be  so  increased  as  to  make  the  number 
at  least  500,000.  I shall  endeavor  to  obtain  from  the  authorities 
definite  statistics  in  regard  to  the  actual  number  of  passengers 
carried  each  day,  but  it  can  hardly  fall  short  of  250,000. 

The  construction  of  the  viaduct  seems  to  have  been  everywhere 
most  thoroughly  done.  Wherever  I have  entered  the  spaces  under 
the  arches  that  are  used  for  shops,  warehouses,  or  for  other  pur- 
poses, I have  found  them  dry  and  clean.  It  is  interesting  to 
observe  that  the  tracks  are  laid  on  wooden  ties  and  ballasted  with 
broken  stone  and  sand,  the  same  as  on  any  first-class  surface  rail- 
road. The  drainage  of  the  tracks  seems  to  have  been  very  well 
managed.  None  of  the  bridges  over  streets  require  underlining  to 
protect  passers  from  dripping  water  or  falling  objects  from  above. 
Through  the  central  portions  of  the  city  yellow  brick  were  used  in 
the  construction  of  the  viaduct,  and  wherever  there  are  streets  and 
houses  facing  the  viaduct  some  effort  has  been  made  to  decorate 
the  exterior.  Red  brick  were  used  where  the  viaduct  arches  rest 
in  the  waters  of  the  Spree,  and  also  through  the  parks. 

Mr.  Commissioner  Fitzgerald  and  myself,  in  going  along  the 
line,  paid  careful  attention  to  the  use  that  is  made  of  the  space 
under  the  arches,  and  we  saw  that  much  of  it  is  not  used.  But 
I should  say,  on  an  inspection  of  the  whole  line,  that  more  than 
half  of  it,  where  the  arches  rest  on  the  ground,  is  put  to  some  use. 


55 


Between  the  Friedriclistrasse  and  Bourse  stations  I saw  several 
good  shops,  used  as  restaurants,  cigar-stores,  etc.  The  arches 
are  very  thin  at  the  centre,  and  every  train  that  passes  makes  a 
heavy  rumbling  sound  underneath  it.  At  the  exhibition  grounds 
several  of  the  arches  are  fitted  up  as  one  of  the  most  elegant  res- 
taurants in  the  city.  No  doubt  use  will  be  found  in  time  for  all 
the  available  space  under  the  viaduct.  Herewith  is  given  a front 
view  of  one  of  the  arches  near  the  Friedriclistrasse  station,  which 
is  very  finely  decorated,  and  which  must  bring  a very  handsome 
rental  on  account  of  its  central  location. 

The  system  of  transportation  on  the  Stadtbahn  provides  for  mak- 
ing some  stations  purely  local,  and  these  stations  are  small  ones, 
inexpensively  built.  The  Jaunowitz  bridge  station,  of  which  I 
had  two  views,  is  one  of  the  local  stations.  It  is  merely  two 
glass  walls  and  a metal  roof,  enclosing  two  of  the  four  tracks,  to 
protect  passengers  from  the  weather. 

From  this  bridge  little  excursion-steamers  run  up  and  down  the 
Spree.  There  is  a large  amount  of  travel  over  the  bridge,  which 
is,  in  fact,  one  of  the  thoroughfares  of  Berlin.  The  junction  of 
street,  river,  and  railroad  makes  it  a very  lively  place  and  an  in- 
teresting one  to  visit.  The  pictures  show  that  abundant  use  is 
here  made  of  the  available  space  underneath  the  viaduct. 

The  method  of  handling  the  passenger  traffic  at  all  the  stations  is 
the  same.  There  is  a fixed  rate  of  ten  pfennigs,  or  two  and  one- 
half  cents,  for  a trip  upon  the  Stadbahn  from  any  station  to  any  sta- 
tion between  the  Schlessischer  station  and  Charlottenberg.  From 
stations  on  the  Stadtbahn  to  stations  on  the  llingbahn  the  fare  is  five 
cents.  Here,  you  see,  is  a rate  of  half  a cent  a mile.  At  the  sta- 
tions called  halt  stations,  where  only  the  local-passenger  tracks  are 
used,  — namely,  the  Jannowitz  bridge.  Bourse,  Lehrte,  Bellevue, 
and  Thiergarten, — abroad  stairway  leads  up  from  the  ticket-offices 
and  waiting-rooms  below  to  a broad  asphalted  platform  in  the 
centre  of  the  station.  The  tracks  are  next  to  the  walls  of  the 
building  on  each  side.  No  effort  is  made  to  separate  the  pas- 
sengers going  eastward  from  those  bound  in  the  opposite  dii’ection. 
Two  uniformed  guards  stand  at  the  top  of  the  stairs,  and  require 
all  passengers  coming  up  to  show  their  tickets,  which  are  then 
punched.  The  stairway  is  usually  divided  by  a railing  into  two 
sections,  — sometimes  there  is  only  a pillar  at  the  top,  — and  pas- 
sengers going  up  are  directed  by  numerous  signs  to  keep  to  the 


56 


right.  Arriving  passengers  use  the  other  half  of  the  stairway  in 
descending,  and  the  guards  take  up  their  tickets  as  they  go  down. 

It  might  be  supposed  that  this  system  would  lead  to  a good  deal 
of  crowding  on  the  stairs,  but  it  does  not  seem  to  give  any  trouble, 
and  the  confusion  of  having  separate  entrances  and  exits  is 
avoided.  I do  not  see  that  there  is  anything  to  prevent  a passen- 
ger, arriving  with  a crowd  of  others  at  a station,  from  stepping 
across  the  platform  and  jumping  into  a train  going  in  the  opposite 
direction.  But  no  protection  is  needed  here,  for  everybody  who 
buys  a ticket  is  going  somewhere,  and  nobody  wants  to  spend 
any  time  merely  in  riding  up  and  down  the  line.  Besides,  if  the 
vigilant  guards  should  catch  any  one  doing  this,  there  would  be  a 
little  fine  of  six  marks  to  pay  at  once,  that  being  the  penalty  for 
riding  upon  the  Stadtbahn  without  a ticket. 

Tickets  are  sold  in  any  number  desired,  and  are  good  for  the 
whole  year.  But,  of  course,  there  is  no  reduction  in  the  rate 
when  a large  number  of  tickets  is  purchased,  and  no  mileage 
books  are  sold.  Two  and  a half  cents  is  a low  enough  rate  for  a 
five-mile  ride,  even  in  this  land  of  low  prices. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  system  of  despatching  and  unloading  the 
passengers  is  the  simplest  possible,  and  in  this  case  the  simplest 
is  undoubtedly  the  best. 

There  is  no  confusion  in  regard  to  the  trains.  One  of  the 
station  guards  has  for  his  duty  to  put  up  a sign  for  each  train  at 
the  moment  its  predecessor  leaves  the  station,  which  sign  tells 
where  it  is  going.  A westward  train  from  the  Friedrichstrasse 
may  be  going  only  to  Charlottenberg,  or  it  ma}^  be  going  on  to  West 
End,  or  it  may  be  going  to  make  the  circuit  on  the  North  Ring,  or 
it  may  be  going  to  the  South  Ring. 

When  you  ascend  the  stairs  to  the  platform,  the  first  things  you 
see  are  the  signs  telling  where  the  next  trains  on  both  tracks  are 
going.  If  you  are  going  to  West  End,  and  the  west  sign 
says  Charlottenberg,  you  must  sit  down  on  one  of  the  fixed 
wooden  seats  that  are  provided,  and  wait  until  the  next  train 
comes  along,  which  will  surely  accommodate  you.  There  are 
toilet-rooms  for  both  men  and  women  on  the  platforms  of  most 
of  the  stations,  and  the  comfort  of  the  public  is  abundantly 
provided  for. 


EDMUND  HUDSON. 


REPORT 


ON  THE 

Transportation  of  Passengers  in  and 
around  the  Cities  of  Europe, 


MADE  BY 

OSBORNE  HOWES,  JR., 


TO  THE  RAPID  TRANSIT  COMMISSION  OF  THE  STATE  OF 
MASSACHUSETTS  AND  THE  CITY  OF  BOSTON, 
NOVEMBER  lo,  1891. 


REPORT 


ON  THE 


TRANSPORTATION  OF  PASSENGERS  IN  AND 
AROUND  THE  CITIES  OF  EUROPE, 

MADE  BY  OSBORNE  HOWES,  JR.,  TO  THE  RAPID  TRANSIT  COM- 
MISSION OF  THE  STATE  OF  MASSACHUSETTS  AND 
THE  CITY  OF  BOSTON,  NOVEMBER  lo,  1891. 


Gentlemen  of  the  Commission : — 

In  making  a report  on  some  of  the  systems  of  passenger 
transportation  in  use  in  several  of  the  large  cities  of  Europe, 
it  seems  desirable,  for  the  sake  of  clearness,  to  classify  these 
by  their  general  characteristics,  rather  than  by  their  geo- 
graphical locations.  The  following  is  the  order  taken  ; — 

First.  Street-cars,  and  the  conditions  controlling  their 
operations. 

Second.  Underground  roads. 

Third.  Elevated  roads. 

Fourth.  Terminal  facilities  of  steam  railroads. 

Fifth.  Rates  of  fare,  zone  system  of  charges,  and  general 
effect  of  better  methods  of  transportation  in  encouraging 
suburban  travel. 

Sixth.  Street  widenings. 

STREET-CARS. 

It  may  be  laid  down  as  a rule,  having  few  if  any  excep- 
tions, that  in  the  franchises  granted  to  street-railway  com- 
panies in  the  cities  of  England  and  of  the  continent  of 


60 


Europe,  the  government,  either  national  or  municipal, 
reserves  to  itself  the  right  to  fix  the  rates  of  fare  and  the 
number  of  trips  which  shall  be  run  during  the  day.and  night ; 
to  decide  the  form  of  track  that  shall  be  used,  and  the  part 
which  the  companies  shall  pay  of  the  expense  of  paving, 
cleaning,  and  watering  the  streets  through  which  the  tracks 
run  : and,  finally,  to  purchase  the  entire  plant,  either  at  any 
time,  or  at  the  end  of  a fixed  period.  In  other  words,  many 
of  the  rights  which  the  American  municipalities  have  sur- 
rendered to  street-railway  companies,  the  municipalities  of 
the  Old  World  have  jealously  retained. 

Liverpool  Tramways. 

The  street  tracks  in  Liverpool  are  all  owned  by  the  mu- 
nicipal corporation,  which  some  years  ago  purchased  and 
reconstructed  the  then  existing  lines,  and  which  has  since 
considerably  extended  them.  It  has  now  the  ownership  of 
about  fifty  miles  of  single-track  road,  all  of  which  is  leased 
to  the  Liverpool  United  Tramways  and  Omnibus  Company 
(limited)  for  a term  of  twenty- five  years,  on  a payment  of 
approximately  ten  per  cent,  per  annum  on  the  cost  of  con- 
struction, which  for  the  purposes  of  the  lease  is  arbitrarily 
fixed  at  $30,000  per  mile,  as  this  is  estimated  to  be  a fair 
average.  By  the  terms  of  this  agreement  the  city  agrees  to 
keep  the  tracks  in  order,  leaving  to  the  tramways  company 
the  sole  duty  of  moving  the  cars.  This  lease  terminates  in 
1894, — for  all  of  the  newly  constructed  track  is  included 
under  it,  — and  as  by  means  of  it,  it  has  been  possible  for 
the  tramways  company  to  pay  considerable  annual  dividends 
upon  a capital  largely  increased  by  the  issue  of  watered 
stock,  there  is  a strong  popular  demand  that  the  city  govern- 
ment shall  take  and  administer  this  business  as  one  of  the 
municipal  functions. 

The  money  now  received  in  the  form  of  rent  is  devoted, 
first,  to  meeting  the  demands  of  the  sinking-fund,  created  to 
pay  the  debt  incurred  in  purchasing  and  building  the  track- 


61 


ways ; second,  to  paying  the  expenses  of  keeping  the  tracks 
in  repair  and  the  trackways  in  good'  condition  3 what  is 
left  over  is  divided  among  the  several  dlsLiicts’of  thf^  city  of 
Liverpool,  in  proportion  to  the  tracks  mileage  ’ within  each 
district,  as  so  much  to  be  deducted^ ttairwthe’ taxes  which  the 
ratepayers  contribute  to  pay  for  the  expeussos  of ‘street  main- 
tenance. 

Possibly,  in  view  of  the  short  time  the  present  lease  has 
to  run,  and  the  doubts  which  have  been  expressed  as  to  its 
renewal,  the  tramways  company  feels  under  no  obligation  to 
keep  its  service  up  to  a high  point  of  comfort  and  efficiency. 
Certainly  its  cars  are  not  particularly  clean  or  otherwise  in- 
viting in  appearance.  They  are  all  of  the  double-decked 
structure,  as  are  practically  all  of  the  tram-cars  on  the  Eng- 
lish lines,  and  usually  have  a carrying  capacity  of  eighteen 
inside  and  the  same  number  outside. 

The  usual  fare  is  2d.  (four  cents),  inside  or  outside,  though 
during  a part  of  the  day  3d.  (six  cents)  is  charged  on  some 
of  the  lines.  The  omnibuses,  which  in  certain  instances  run 
in  competition  with  the  tram-cars,  charge,  as  a rate  of  fare. 
Id.  (two  cents).  The  speed  of  the  cars  is  no  greater  than 
the  schedule  speed  of  the  West  End  cars  ; but  as  they  do  not 
run  through  streets  greatly  crowded  with  wheeled  vehicles 
of  all  kinds,  their  progress  is  not  delayed  at  any  part  of  their 
route,  as  is  the  case  with  our  system.  This  result  is  attained 
by  restricting  the  number  of  the  lines,  for,  as  indicated  by 
the  mileage  given  above,  the  lines  are  none  of  them  what  we 
would  consider  suburban  lines,  while  there  are  certain  busi- 
ness parts  of  the  city  that  are  entirely  unsupplied  with  tram- 
way facilities  ; and,  again,  in  the  plan  of  routes,  care  has 
been  taken,  in  all  but  very  broad  streets,  to  have  but  one 
line  of  tracks,  so  that  cars  on  their  homeward  journey 
pursue  a different,  but  parallel,  route  from  that  taken  by 
them  on  their  outward  trips.  At  places  where  large 
numbers  of  passengers  ordinarily  take  the  cars  the  line 
of  the  tracks  — usually  in  the  middle  of  the  street  — is  * 


62 


deflected  so  as  to  bring  the  cars  close  to  the  curb  of  the 
sidewalk.,'  ; 

This  cha^ige,  in  .th^‘  ..lv)cation  of  the  tracks  can  be  made 
without  inccaveni Slice ] in;  Liverpool,  because  of  the  un- 
obstructive  character  of  the  track  itself,  and  the  equally  un- 
obstructive..muAuer  in  twhich  it  is  put  down.  The  upjier 
contour  (n  these dracks* resembles  the  letter  U.  The  bearinor 

O 

rim  or  surface  for  the  wheel  is  small,  as  is  also,  both  iu 
width  and  depth,  the  indentation  in  which  the  flange  of  the 
wheel  runs.  These  tracks  are  laid  so  that  no  part  of  them 
rises  above  the  surface  of  the  street.  They  are  put  down  in 
a manner  ivhich  ties  the  track  and  the  immediate  surface  of 
the  street  together ; and  while  all  kinds  of  vehicles  can  cross 
over  them  at  any  angle,  with  hardly  any  jar  or  strain,  it  is 
asserted  that  but  comparatively  little  difficulty  is  experienced 
in  winter  in  freeing  the  tracks  from  ice  and  snow,  though 
there  is,  of  course,  less  of  these  obstructions  to  contend  with 
than  are  met  with  during  an  average  winter  in  Boston. 

In  the  opinion  of  the  city  surve3^or  of  Liverpool,  who  has 
immediate  charge  of  tramway  construction  matters,  there  is 
no  present  probability  of  the  introduction  there  of  electric 
or  cable  lines.  While  the  people  may  not  be  wholly  satis- 
fied with  the  street  transit  facilities  now  furnished,  the  city 
government  would  seriously  oppose  any  project  which  led 
to  the  tearing  up  of  the  pavements  in  the  principal  streets, 
as  would  be  necessary  to  put  down  a cable  or  electric  wire 
conduit,  for  overhead  wires  would  not  be  permitted.  These 
pavements  have  been  put  down  in  a careful  manner,  at  an 
expense  of  about  five  dollars  per  square  yard ; and  in  the 
judgment  of  the  surveyor,  if  the  surface  was  disturbed,  for 
the  purpose  of  laying  new  tracks,  or  a conduit,  it  would  be 
necessary  to  repave  the  entire  street  from  curb  to  curb  in 
order  to  obtain  complete  uniformity  of  surface. 

I may  add,  by  way  of  note,  that  this  Liverpool  opinion, 
that  when  a street  surfiice  is  in  part  disturbed  it  is  necessary, 
in  order  to  obtain  an  equally  good  pavement  in  the  future, 


63 


to  repave  the  entire  surface,  is  not  shared  by  those  having- 
charge  of  street  work  in  Manchester  and  Birmingham. 

Manchester  Tramavays. 

There  are  within  the  corporate  limits  of  Manchester  about 
fifty  miles  of  street-railway  track.  This  has  been  built  by 
the  city,  which  began  the  work  of  construction  some  fifteen 
years  ago.  In  1877  these  tracks  were  leased  to  the  com- 
pany which  now  operates  them  for  a term  of  twenty-one 
years,  the  lease  to  cover  all  new  construction  which  might 
subsequently  be  undertaken.  The  first  lines  of  track  laid 
were  leased  at  ten  per  cent,  on  an  estimated  cost  of  $50,000 
per  mile  of  single  track.  This  it  may  be  assumed  was  an  ar- 
bitrary amount,  considerably  in  excess  of  cost  named,  because 
the  routes  first  established  were  those  running  through 
the  centre  of  the  city,  and  hence  specially  profital)le  ones. 
The  extensions  which  have  since  been  made,  and  which  have 
been  covered  by  the  general  lease,  have  been  less  productive 
in  returns  to  the  municipal  treasury,  the  return  received  on 
an  assumed  ten  per  cent,  of  cost  rental  varying  from  $1 ,500 
to  $2,250  per  annum  per  single  mile  of  track.  The  municipal 
government  decides  when  and  where  the  tracks  shall  be 
laid,  and  although  it  cannot  force  the  company,  Avhich  has 
generally  leased  these,  to  take  a new  line  of  tracks,  an 
agreement  on  this  head  is  generally  reached  before  the  work 
of  new  construction  is  begun.  It  is  this  that,  no  doubt, 
accounts  for  the  different  rates  at  Avhich  parts  of  the  lease 
have  been  made,  as  the  actual  cost  of  new  construction,  as 
given  by  the  city  surveyor,  is  $12,500  per  mile  of  single 
track,  this  including  the  replacement  of  the  pavement  for 
eighteen  inches  on  either  side  outside  the  track.  The  city 
receives  for  its  fifty  miles  of  single  track,  approximately, 
$100,000  per  annum  ; but  it  is  compelled  to  keep  the  streets 
and  tracks  in  serviceal)le  condition,  and  to  remove  the  snow 
and  ice  in  winter,  though  this  latter  service  was  not  contem- 
plated by  the  city  Avhen  the  lease  was  made. 


64 


The  fares  are  based  upon  a sliding  scale,  graded  by  dis- 
tance travelled,  and  run  from  Id.  to  6d.  (2  cents  to  12 
cents),  the  latter  applying  to  the  longest  route,  which  covers 
a distance  of  about  six  miles.  The  great  majority  of  the 
fares  collected  are  Id.  and  2d.  fares.  This  method  of  o^rading: 
fares,  which  has  recently  been  adopted,  is  said  to  be  satis- 
factory to  the  people  and  profitable  to  the  company. 

By  the  terms  ot  the  lease  the  company  is  left  free  to 
determine  the  number  and  time  of  running  its  cars.  City 
ordinance  restricts  the  number  of  persons  carried  in  or 
on  a car  to  its  seating  capacity,  — that  is,  eighteen  per- 
sons inside  and  twenty  on  top,  — and  the  company  would 
be  heavily  fined  if  the  law  was  persistently  violated ; but 
in  spite  of  the  law  and  the  risk  incurred  in  ignoring 
it,  in  stormy  weather  and  under  certain  conditions  — excur- 
sions into  the  country,  for  example  — it  is  not  infrequently 
violated.  But  it  is  assumed  that  if  the  number  that  a single 
car  can  cany  is  restricted,  the  dictates  of  self-interest 
will  force  the  company  to  put  on  a sufiicient  number  of  cars 
and  run  a sufiicient  number  of  trips  to  earn  the  largest  pos- 
sible income. 

In  laying  out  the  routes  the  city  authorities  have  endeav- 
ored to  have  but  one  line  of  track  in  a street ; that  is,  to  have 
the  cars  go  and  return  on  different  streets.  In  the  centre  of 
the  city,  toward  which  all  of  the  lines  converge,  are  broad 
thoroughfares,  — Market  street  and  Piccadilly, — and  here 
there  are  three  lines  of  track,  which  interfere  but  little  with 
the  ordinary  street  traffic. 

The  average  speed  of  the  cars  is  from  five  to  six  miles  per 
hour.  The  cars  themselves  are,  in  the  main,  clean  and 
attractive  in  appearance.  In  those  hours  of  the  day  when 
the  street  traffic  is  greatest,  the  car-drivers  are  compelled  by 
city  ordinance  to  keep  a distance  of  about  one  hundred  feet 
between  each  car,  to  avoid  street  blockades. 

The  men  in  the  employ  of  the  company  have  to  work 
for  twelve  hours  per  day,  at  times  most  convenient  to  the 


65 


company;  but,  although  paid  at  the  rate  of  4s.  6d.  per  day 
for  seven  days  in  a week,  they  are  employed  only  live  days 
out  of  that  time.  That  is,  they  are  given  two  days’  rest  each 
week  without  loss  of  pay. 

The  tide  of  travel  in  Manchester,  as  in  Boston,  is  inward 
from  the  suburbs  in  the  morning,  and  outward  in  the  after- 
noon, though  pleasant  weather  tends  to  change  these  con- 
ditions by  sending  excursionists  out  of  town  in  the  morning 
and  suburban  shoppers  in  and  out  of  town  during  the  middle 
of  the  day.  The  company  regulates  the  number  of  its  tri})s 
by  its  patronage,  putting  on  and  taking  off  cars  as  demand 
increases  or  slackens.  The  company  also  owns  the  omnibuses 
and  hackney-coaches  in  use  in  Manchester.  The  fares  in 
the  former  are  about  the  same  as  in  the  cars.  In  the  latter 
the  rates  are  9d.  (18  cents)  per  mile  for  one  or  two  persons, 
and  Is.  3d.  (30  cents)  per  mile  for  three  or  four  persons. 

There  is  no  present  intention  of  introducing  cable  or 
electric  street-cars  in  Manchester.  If  there  is  dissatisfaction 
among  the  people  at  the  character  of  service  given,  it  has 
not  yet  found  reflection  in  the  city  government.  One  reason 
for  this  contentment  may  be  found  in  the  arrangement  of 
the  tracks  and  the  width  of  the  streets  into  which  nearly  all 
of  the  lines  converge,  these  apparently  offering  little  or  no 
delay  to  travel. 


Birmingham  Tramways. 

There  are  in  Birmingham  street-railways  to  the  extent  of 
about  forty  miles  of  single  track.  These  tracks  are  owned 
by  the  municipal  corporation,  some  of  them  having  been 
built  by  it,  and  others  purchased  and  then  rebuilt.  The 
average  cost  for  construction  per  mile  of  single  track  has 
been  $25,000. 

There  are  in  Birmingham  four  different  systems  of  street- 
railway  transit;  viz.,  steam,  electric,  cable,  and  horse  cars. 
The  street-cars  propelled  by  dummy-engines  represent  the 
greater  i)art  of  the  mileage.  This  system  is  tolerated,  be- 


66 


cause  it  was.  when  introduced,  the  best  possible  means  of 
rapid  transit;  but  it  is  unlikely  that  official  approval  could 
now  be  obtained  to  extend  this  method.  The  speed  of  these 
steam  street-cars  is  limited  to  eight  miles  per  hour,  by  law ; 
but  at  night,  and  at  other  times  when  the  streets  are  free  from 
obstructions,  the  rate  of  speed  attained  is  apparently  con- 
siderably in  excess  of  the  maximum  limit. 

The  cable-cars  have  a speed  of  nine  miles  per  hour,  the 
electric-cars  (storage  battery)  seven  miles  per  hour,  and  the 
horse-cars  nominally  six  miles  per  hour.  As  in  Liverpool 
and  Manchester,  the  street-car  lines  in  Birmingham  have 
been  laid  out  by  the  city  authorities.  These  latter  have 
decided  which  districts  should  be  supplied  and  the  streets 
thiough  which  the  cars  should  pass.  Unlike  Manchester, 
the  street-railways  of  Birmingham  do  not  pass  into  or  through 
the  centre  of  the  city.  The  streets  in  that  section  are  not 
particularly  broad,  and  for  this  and  possibly  other  reasons 
it  has  been  thought  expedient  to  describe  in  the  centre  of  the 
city  a circle,  having  a diameter  of  about  half  a mile,  within 
which  area  no  street-car  tracks  are  permitted.  One  effect  of 
this  is  to  prevent  the  direct  transfer  by  street-cars  of  pas- 
sengers from  one  outlying  section  of  the  city  to  the  other. 

The  leases  of  the  various  roads  have  been  given  out,  with- 
out competition,  to  the  companies  that  now  hold  them,  for  a 
term  of  twenty-one  years.  These  leases  include  such- exten- 
sions as  the  municipality  may  from  time  to  time  construct. 
Under  the  terms  of  these  contracts  the  companies  agree  for 
fourteen  years  to  pay  annually,  in  addition  to  all  parish, 
municipal,  and  national  taxes  that  maybe  regularly  imposed, 
four  per  cent,  on  the  gross  cost  of  constructing  the  tracks, 
including  in  this  cost  the  expense  of  paving  or  repairing  be- 
tween the  tracks  and  for  twenty-one  inches  on  either  side. 
For  the  succeeding  seven  years  the  rate  of  payment  is  five 
per  cent,  on  the  gross  cost.  Beside  this,  the  leasing  com- 
panies are  compelled  to  pay  the  entire  cost  of  all  repairs  that 
the  city  officials  consider  it  necessary  to  make  on  the  tracks 


67 


or  the  road  surface  in  its  immediate  vicinity.  The  possil)le 
extent  of  this  last  commitment  may  be  judged  when  it  is  said 
that  last  year  a line  of  railroad  of  four  miles  in  length  had 
assessed  upon  it  bills  for  street  repairs  made  by  the  city 
amounting  to  $50,000.  This  caused  the  interested  company 
to  make  a protest,  and  there  was  some  intention  of  testing 
the  legality  or  equity  of  the  assessment ; but,  after  taking 
competent  legal  advice,  the  company  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  there  was  no  appeal  from  any  decision  of  this 
kind  arrived  at  by  the  authorized  agents  of  the  city. 

The  rental  charge  is  paid  into  the  municipal  treasury  in 
monthly  instalments.  The  repair  charges  are  paid  each 
quarter,  when  accounts  are  made  up  and  sent  to  the  various 
interested  companies  by  the  municipal  officials.  If  bills  due 
either  for  rent  or  repairs  are  not  paid  with  reasonable 
promptness,  the  city  government  has  it  in  its  power,  in  the 
case  of  the  greatest  part  of  the  companies,  to  bring  a direct 
pressure  to  bear  upon  them.  The  right  to  use  any  other 
power  than  horse-power  is  only  granted  by  the  city  for  a 
term  of  six  months  at  a time,  renewable,  of  course,  at  the 
end  of  that  period.  Where,  in  one  or  two  instances,  a rail- 
road company  has  failed  to  make  its  payments  at  the  required 
time,  the  intimation  that  its  privilege  to  use  steam-power 
would  not  be  renewed  has  been  all  that  was  needed  to  force 
an  immediate  settlement  of  the  account. 

The  companies  are  compelled  in  Birmingham  to  keep  their 
tracks  free  from  snow,  and  attend  to  other  matters  of  this 
kind.  As  in  Liverpool  and  Manchester,  the  tracks  are,  as 
nearly  as  possible,  on  a level  with  the  surface  of  the  street 
pavement,  though  the  form  of  rail  used  in  Birmingham  and 
Manchester  difiers  from  that  used  in  Livcr[)ool,  having  a 
broader  surface  for  the  car- wheel  to  run  upon.  The  city 
surveyor  of  Birmingham  doubts  whether  the  form  of  rail 
used  by  his  city  is  as  satisfactory  as  that  adopted  in  Liver- 
pool. There  arc  quite  a number  of  accidents  occurring 
monthly,  such  as  the  breaking  of  axles,  wheels,  etc.,  in 


68 


consequence  of  the  obstruction  to  street  travel  caused  l)y  the 
rails,  for  which  compensation  is  claimed  from  the  munici- 
pality ; and  hence  it  is  good  economy  for  the  city  to  adopt  a 
type  of  rail  which  approximates  nearest  to  the  ordinary 
street  surface. 

Penny  fares  prevail  throughout  Birmingham.  These  ap- 
ply to  single  stages,  which  average  about  miles  each.  At 
the  beginning  of  each  stage  the  fares  are  collected  for  that 
stage,  or  the  passenger  wishing  to  go  more  than  one  stage 
receives  a ticket  with  a hole  punched  in  it  for  each  penny 
paid,  or  each  stage  to  be  travelled. 

The  Manchester  street-car  companies,  particularly  those 
using  steam-power,  have  lines  extending  miles  beyond  the 
corporate  borders.  These  tracks  have  been  put  down  and 
are  owned  by  the  companies  themselves.  They  are  com- 
pelled to  build  these  in  much  the  same  way  that  the  roads 
are  built  in  the  city,  for  the  reason  that  the  tracks  cannot  be 
used  until  they  have  been  approved  by  the  National  Board  of 
Trade  officials,  who  have  established  the  rule  of  insisting,  in 
matters  of  this  kind,  on  uniformity  of  construction. 

There  is  no  rule  regulating  the  number  of  cars  that  the 
companies  shall  run.  Seats  must  be  provided  for  all  who 
ride,  and  it  is  the  duty  of  the  police  to  enforce  this  law,  and 
tines  for  violation  are  imposed  with  more  or  less  frequency. 
Self-interest,  it  is  assumed,  will  cause  the  companies  to  run 
all  the  cars  that  are  needed  to  obtain  the  larofest  number  of 
passengers.  In  one  or  two  instances  tracks  have  been  laid 
for  short  distances,  and  have  been  leased,  but  have  not  been 
used.  If  complaints  and  protests  were  made  by  the  citizens 
living  in  the  vicinity  of  these  disused  tracks,  the  companies 
would  probably  be  forced  by  the  municipal  corporation  to 
run  cars  over  them  ; but,  in  the  absence  of  such  popular 
demand,  the  city  authorities  have  taken  no  action. 

When  a company  in  Birmingham  obtains  the  right  to 
open  the  streets  for  cable,  electric  wires,  etc.,  it  is  com- 
pelled to  till  in  the  opening  in  a suitable  manner  up  to  the 


69 


dii't  surface.  Then  the  city  takes  up  the  work  and  replaces 
the  pavement  in  its  own  way  by  the  work  of  its  own  men, 
but  at  the  expense  of  the  interested  company. 

It  is  found  that  while  under  ordinary  conditions  a wooden 
block  pavement  will  last  from  four  to  five  years  and  a 
granite  block  pavement  from  fifteen  to  twenty  years,  where 
tramways  run  through  a street,  the  thoroughfares  need 
repaving  at  shorter  intervals  than  those  given  al)ove.  The 
jar  of  the  car  service  seems  to  loosen  and  disintegrate  the 
pavement,  making  frequent  repairs  necessary  in  order  to 
avoid  hollows  and  gullies.  It  is  also  found  that  streets  used 
by  tram-cars  require  more  lights  and  a larger  police  service 
than  those  not  so  occupied,  so  that  there  are  incidental  ex- 
penses to  the  city  that  would  justify  more  than  ordinary 
interest  charges. 

The  Birmingham  tramway  companies  have  done  during 
the  last  few  years  a highly  profitable  business.  The  prin- 
cipal company  has  paid  a regular  annual  dividend  of  ten 
per  cent.,  and  has  accumulated  a reserve  equal  to  neaily  fifty 
per  cent,  of  its  capital  stock.  The  others  have  been  some- 
what less  fortunate,  particularly  the  horse-car  lines  ; but  all 
have  made  at  least  fair  returns  to  their  shareholders. 

The  overhead  wire  system  will  not,  it  is  said,  be  permitted 
in  Birmingham  ; but  the  line  which  now  operates  its  cars  l)y 
cable  proposes  to  establish  an  overhead  electric  system  on  a 
line  which  it  has  outside  of  the  city,  and  which  it  proposes 
to  extend  through  several  towns.  The  cars  will  be  run  b}^ 
cable  in  Birmingham,  and  by  overhead  electric  wire  outside 
the  city  border.  It  is  also  proposed  to  run  another  line  by 
compressed  air,  at  a })ressure  of  120  pounds  to  the  square 
inch,  and  applied  by  means  of  a new  principle.  The  power 
is  to  be  supplied  to  the  car  at  intervals  of,  say,  one-quarter 
of  a mile,  the  time  consumed  in  recharging  the  cylinders 
averaging  not  over  thirty  seconds. 

The  tram-cars  of  Birmingham  are  not  in  neatness  and  at- 
tractiveness equal  to  those  in  use  in  Manchester.  The  cars 


70 


ill  Manchester,  Liverpool,  and  Birmingham  are  apparently 
lighter  in  construction  than  those  used  in  Boston,  and  in  spite 
of  the  small  rails,  level  with  the  pavement,  it  is  said  that  the 
horse,  steam,  cable,  and  electric  cars  rarely  run  off  the 
tracks. 

The  following  general  rules  apply  to  the  construction,  use, 
and  maintenance  of  street-railways  in  a large  number  of 
cities  and  towns  of  Great  Britain. 

Double  lines  of  tramways  are  to  be  laid  in  no  street  where 
the  width  is  insufficient  to  give  a space  of  at  least  nine  feet 
and  six  inches  between  the  outside  of  the  footpath  on  either 
side  of  the  street  and  the  nearest  rail  of  the  tramway. 

City  and  town  authorities,  by  means  of  their  own  carriages 
and  trucks,  can  make  use,  free  of  toll,  of  the  tramways  at 
any  time  lietween  12  at  night  and  6 A.M.,  for  the  convey- 
ance of  scavengering  stuff,  road  material,  night-soil,  etc. 

Every  engine  used  on  the  tramways  shall  have  such 
mechanical  appliance  for  starting  and  stopping  as  may  be  ap- 
proved by  the  Board  of  Trade.  It  shall  have  its  number 
shown  in  some  conspicuous  jilace,  and  shall  be  fitted  with  an 
indicator  by  means  of  which  the  speed  shall  be  shown,  a 
suitable  fender  to  push  aside  obstructions,  a special  warning 
liell,  and  have  a seat  for  the  driver,  so  placed  in  front  of  the 
engine  as  to.  command  the  fullest  possible  view  of  the  road 
before  him.  The  speed  at  which  such  engines  may  be  driven 
shall  not  exceed  the  rate  of  eight  miles  an  hour. 

When  steam  or  other  mechanical  power  is  used  on  a tram- 
way, the  authorities  of  the  district  through  which  such  tram- 
ways are  laid  must  make  a new  arrangement  with  the 
interested  company,  if  one  has  been  previously  made  for 
horse-power,  and  the  new  arrangement  shall  not  continue  in 
force  for  a longer  period  than  two  years. 

The  mone\^  received  from  time  to  time  from  the  tramway 
companies  by  the  local  authorities  shall  be  apjilied  by  them 
toward  the  expenses  of  repairing,  improving,  and  maintain- 
ing the  highways  within  their  districts,  having  regard,  in  the 


71 


first  instance,  to  the  requirements  of  the  roads  upon  which 
the  tramways  are  laid. 

The  rails  of  tramways  shall  be  such  as  the  Board  of  Trade 
may  approve,  and  the  Board  of  Trade  may  require  the  tram- 
way companies  to  adopt  and  apply  such  improvements  in  the 
tramways,  including  the  rails  thereof,  as  experience  may  from 
time  to  time  suggest,  having  regard  to  the  greater  security 
of  the  public  and  advantage  to  the  ordinary  traflSc. 

The  tramway  companies  shall  pave  and  maintain  so  much 
of  any  road  as  extends  two  feet  and  one  inch  beyond  the 
rails  of  and  on  each  side  of  any  such  tramway,  and  shall 
pave  and  maintain  the  whole  width  of  any  road  where  it  is 
proposed  that  a space  less  than  nine  feet  six  inches  shall 
intervene  between  the  outside  of  the  footpath  on  either  side 
of  the  road  and  the  nearest  rail  of  the  tramway. 

If,  in  the  judgment  of  the  local  authorities,  the  needed  road 
repairs  are  not  made  by  the  tramway  companies,  it  shall  be 
lawful  for  said  local  authorities  to  stop  the  tramway  traffic 
along  any  such  part  of  the  road  as  may  be  out  of  repair. 

All  changes  of  sewers,  water-mains,  gas-pipes,  etc.,  made 
necessary  by  the  construction  of  a tramway,  must  be  made  at 
the  expense  of  the  tramway  company. 

Tramways  built  or  owned  by  a municii^al  corporation  may 
be  leased  for  a term  of  twenty-one  years  to  companies  desir- 
ous of  operating  them. 

Companies  are  authorized,  with  the  approval  of  local 
authorities,  to  lay  out  penny  stages.  When  such  tramways 
are  worked  by  other  than  animal-power,  these  stages  need 
not  exceed  one  mile  in  length  or  distance,  and  the  com- 
panies may  demand  and  take  from  each  passenger  Id.  per 
sta^e  or  fraction  of  a staofe. 

At  any  time  after  a tramway  has  been  in  operation  for 
three  years,  the  Board  of  Trade  may,  at  the  request  of  local 
authorities,  or  interested  ratepayers  to  the  number  of 
twent}^  revise  and  change  the  tolls  and  charges  of  a com- 
pany. 


72 


If  a municipal  corporation  shall,  at  the  expiration  of  the 
twelfth  year  after  the  passing  of  the  act  of  1882,  or  within 
six  months  thereafter,  give  notice  to  a company  of  its  inten- 
tion to  purchase  its  tramway,  the  city  shall  pay  to  the  com- 
pany aforesaid  a sum  equal  to  the  expended  capital  and  the 
then  liabilities  of  the  company,  with  an  additional  sum  of 
money  sufficient  to  make  up  average  dividends,  at  the  rate  of 
six  per  cent,  per  annum,  to  the  shareholders  from  the  time 
or  times  the  tramways  shall  have  been  opened  for  traffic  up 
to  the  completion  of  the  purchase,  if  dividends  at  that  aver- 
age rate  of  six  per  cent,  per  annum  shall  not  have  been  paid 
out  of  the  profits  of  the  company. 

After  twelve  years,  if  a tramway  is  purchased  by  the 
municipality,  it  is  necessary  to  pay  the  same  as  above,  and 
the  equal  of  seven  per  cent,  per  annum  to  the  shareholders, 
for  the  years  following  the  twelfth  up  to  the  completion  of 
the  purchase,  if  dividends  of  an  equivalent  amount  have  not 
already  been  paid  out  of  the  profits. 

Street-Railways  of  Berlin. 

The  street-railways  of  Berlin  have  only  a traction  service 
of  horses.  It  is  the  wish  of  the  municipal  authorities  to 
have  electricity,  by  the  conduit  system,  substituted  ; but  the 
chief  company,  Der  Grossen  Berlin  Pferde-Eisenbahn 
Action-Gesellschaft,  is  unwilling  to  incur  this  increased 
expense,  for  the  reason  that  after  a number  of  years  the 
street  constructions  of  all  kinds  revert  to  the  city,  and  the 
company  does  not  care  to  forfeit  an  unnecessary  amount  of 
property,  by  investing  the  fresh  capital  needed  to  make 
these  improvements.  The  Grossen  company  controls  all  of 
the  street-railroad  tracks  of  the  city,  with  a trifling  exception. 
It  owns  about  180  miles  of  single  track,  has  about  1,000 
cars  and  5,000  horses.  Last  year  it  carried  in  round 
numbers  121,000,000  passengers,  an  increase  of  6,800,000 
over  those  carried  during  the  previous  year.  The  company 
holds  its  concession  until  1911,  when  all  of  its  tracks  pass 


73 


into  the  possession  of  the  city.  It  will  then  still  retain  its 
horses  and  rolling-stock,  and  such  real  estate  as  it  may  own. 
The  company  puts  down  its  own  tracks,  but  must  use  the 
form  of  rail  that  the  city  authorities  direct,  and  must  put 
this  down  in  a manner  to  meet,  in  all  respects,  official  ap- 
proval. If  a street  is  considered  by  the  municipal  authorities 
too  narrow  for  horse-car  traffic,  the  necessary  widening  must 
be  made  at  the  expense  of  the  company,  which  must  also 
pa3Mbr  all  changes  that  the  laying  of  the  tracks  necessitate 
in  water-mains,  sew^ers,  gas-pipes,  etc.,  and  must,  moreover, 
pay  whatever  expense  for  street  repairs  the  city  authorities 
consider  to  be  its  share.  Before  undertaking  any  extensive 
work  to  which  the  company  must  contribute,  the  city 
authorities  usually  lay  the  matter  before  the  officers  o-f  the 
company,  as  a matter  of  courtesy  merely. 

The  company  has  to  pay  for  its  use  of  the  public  streets 
a tax  upon  its  gross  income  of  four  per  cent,  when  this  in- 
come is  but  6,000,000  marks  or  under,  and  ascending  on  a 
sliding  scale  to  eight  per  cent,  tax  per  annum  when  the 
gross  income  is  15,000,000  marks  or  over.  The  company 
l)aid  of  last  year’s  receipts  seven  and  three-quarters  per 
cent,  to  the  government ; that  is,  a sum  equivalent  to 
$247,625.  Beside  this,  the  company  has  to  pay  a tax  on 
all  of  its  real  estate,  an  income-tax  on  its  declared  profits 
over  four  per  cent.,  and,  in  addition,  its  stockholders  have 
to  pay  an  income-tax  on  their  dividends,  as  though  the  com- 
pany had  paid  nothing.  In  other  words,  the  comj)an3^  is 
taxed,  in  addition  to  what  it  pa^^s  in  the  way  of  compensa- 
tion for  street  franchise,  precisely  as  any  other  industrial 
company  in  Germany  Avould  be  taxed. 

The  city  authorities  reserve  to  themselves  the  right  to 
regulate  the  rates  of  fare  and  the  time-tal)le  of  trips.  The 
president  of  the  company  sa^’s  that  the  municipal  authorities 
could  make  him  run  his  cars  every  three  minutes  throughout 
the  night  by  simply  ordering  him  so  to  do,  and  a failure  on 
his  part  to  comply  would  lead  to  the  imposition  of  large  fines. 


74 


The  company  cannot  carry  in  any  car  more  than  its  seating 
capacity^  and  if  it  failed  to  provide  a sutEcient  number  of 
cars  for  ordinary  demands,  the  municipal  authorities  would 
instantly  cause  the  omission  to  be  made  a matter  of  official 
inquiry.  The  rates  of  fare  are  determined  by  distance,  and 
are  10,  15,  20,  and  30  pf.  ; that  is,  2i,  3|,  5,  and  cents. 

Seventy-five  per  cent,  of  the  fares  taken  are  2|  cents. 

Fifteen  percent.,  3|  cents. 

Five  per  cent.,  5 cents. 

Five  per  cent.,  7|  cents. 

The  average  length  of  a trip  for  2|  cents  is  two  miles. 

The  company  has  in  its  employ  3,504  persons.  Its  oper- 
ating expenses  amounted  in  1890  to  57.43  per  cent,  of  its 
gross  income.  Dividends  have  been  paid  for  a number  of 
years  past  of  12J  per  cent,  per  annum. 

The  capital  of  the  company  is  $4,275,000.  There  is  also 
a bonded  debt  of  about  $4,000,000.  The  policy  of  the  com- 
pany has  been  to  each  year  set  aside  a sum  of  money,  the 
aggregate  to  be  turned  over  to  the  stockholders  at  the  end  of 
the  concession,  to  make  good  the  loss  occasioned  by  the  for- 
feiture of  the  corporate  property.  On  the  present  basis  of 
savings  it  is  estimated  that  the  shareholders  will  receive, 
when  the  period  of  concession  ends,  $200  for  each  $100  of 
stock  held  by  them.  The  shares  of  the  company  have  been 
recently  selling  at  the  equivalent  of  $220  for  a $100  share, 
though  the  price  has  been  at  other  times  as  high  as  $250  per 
share. 

There  is  a strong  competition  going  on  between  the  street- 
railway  lines  and  the  State  steam-railway  lines.  The  policy 
of  the  latter  to  reduce  their  rates  of  fi\re  and  improve  their 
facilities  is  forcing  the  street-railways  in  self-defence  to  offer 
larger  inducements  in  the  way  of  fares  and  more  frequent 
trips. 

AThile  in  Berlin,  as  in  all  cities  of  continental  Europe, 
there  is  a disposition  on  the  part  of  the  people  to  reside 
within  the  city  limits,  and  to  occupy  lodgings  in  buildings 


75 


fronting  on  business  streets  and  used  for  mercantile  purposes, 
this  method  seems  to  be  gradually  changing.  Each  year  a 
proportionately  larger  number  of  people  find  homes  for 
themselves  in  the  suburbs,  induced  so  to  do,  in  the  opinion 
of  the  State,  city,  and  railroad  officials,  by  the  cheap 
and  convenient  means  of  transportation  that  is  accorded  to 
them.  In  this  competition  for  suburban  patronage  the 
advantage  possessed  by  the  street-railway  company  of  Berlin 
is,  that  its  service  runs  upon  radial  lines,  while  the  steam- 
rail  way  takes  the  form  of  a circuit ; so  that  in  many  instances 
the  former,  though  running  cars  at  a slower  speed,  furnish 
the  quickest  and  most  direct  service.  Berlin  is  growing  in 
number  of  population  more  rapidly  than  Chicago,  and  it  is 
believed  the  many  thousands  of  acres  of  unoccupied  land  in 
the  suburbs  will  soon  be  covered  with  tens  of  thousands  of 
small  dwellings  occupied  by  one,  or  at  most  two,  families. 

The  officers  of  the  Berlin  Street  Railway  assert  that, 
although  the  government  of  the  city  is  exceedingly  exacting, 
it  is  absolutely  impartial  and  disinterested.  Not  a cent  has 
to  be  paid  for  legal  fees  or  lobby  ex[)enses  of  any  kind.  To 
offer  a bribe  to  a city  official  would  provoke  serious  conse- 
quences. This  comment  is  made  because  in  Vienna,  Paris, 
and  in  some  other  cities  of  continental  Europe  personal 
influence  and  the  corrupt  use  of  money  are  potent  factors  in 
the  drafting  and  enforcement  of  laws  permitting  and  regu- 
lating the  use  of  streets  by  railway  companies. 

Street-Railway  at  Buda-Pesth. 

Buda-Pesth,  a city  of  about  500,000  people,  is  the  only 
place  in  Europe  that  has  a direct-working  electric  railway. 
There  are  three  of  these  lines  already  in  operation,  and  a 
fouith,  on  a new  system,  will  probably  be  built  next  year. 
(The  details  of  the  concessions — translated  — under  which 
the  lines  were  built  will  ])e  sent  to  Boston  by  the  United 
States  consul  at  Buda-Pesth.) 

The  wires  furnishing  the  current  for  the  cars  are  in  a con- 


76 


diiit  underground,  access  to  which  is  obtained  by  using  a 
split  rail  for  one  of  the  tracks.  The  entire  equipment  was 
supplied  by  the  Siemens  & Halske  Company.  The  nominal 
rate  of  speed  is  eight  miles  per  hour;  but  at  night,  and  at 
certain  parts  of  the  routes,  where  there  are  substantially 
track  reservations  in  the  streets,  the  speed  attained  is  from 
ten  to  twelve  miles  per  hour.  The  price  for  a trip  in  the 
electric  and  horse  cars  is  six  kreuzers  {)er  stage  ; that  is, 
about  2 1 cents  for  an  average  distance  of  two  miles.  It  is 
said  that  the  electric  cars  at  Buda-Pesth  experienced  no 
more  trouble  with  snow  and  ice  last  winter  than  the  ordinary 
horse-cars.  There  was  some  delay,  but  nothing  serious, 
although  last  winter  was  one  of  exceptional  severity  in  Hun- 
gary, and  the  Danube  river  was  frozen  over  continuously  for 
more  than  three  months. 

The  electric  and  horse  cars  in  Buda-Pesth  are  not  allowed 
to  go  in  the  centre  of  the  city  on  the  north  side  of  the  river. 
A space  of  about  two-thirds  of  a mile  long  and  half  mile 
wide  is  kept  free  from  tracks.  Exchange  tickets  are  sold  by 
the  lines  which  admit  of  transfer  ; but  those  going  in  a direct 
line  across  the  city  would  be  compelled  to  walk,  or  take 
some  other  form  of  conveyance  for  a part  of  the  distance. 

The  new  line  which  it  is  proposed  to  build  next  year  is 
planned  on  a wholly  new  principle.  The  invention  is  con- 
trolled by  Messrs.  Ganz  & Co,,  manufacturei'S  of  railroad 
and  electrical  supplies,  Avho  have  large  workshops  at  Buda- 
Pesth,  where  they  give  employment  to  several  thousand 
persons,  and  where  they  have  on  exhibition  a large  working- 
model  of  their  car,  track,  etc.  This  car  runs  upon  a single 
split  rail,  drawing  its  supply  of  electricity  and  obtaining  its 
support  from  a conduit  reached  by  the  open  space  between 
the  two  sections  of  the  rail.  By  this  means  the  disfigure- 
ment of  the  street  surface  is  reduced  to  a minimum,  in  fact  is 
done  away  with,  and  it  is  claimed  that  relatively  less  trouble 
than  at  present  would  be  experienced  in  keeping  the  lines 
fre«  from  the  obstructions  of  snow  and  ice.  Beside  this,  the 


77 


cost  of  street  repairs  would  be  very  slight.  The  cost  of 
building  and  equipping  a line  of  this  kind  is  estimated  at 
$39,000  per  mile,  this  not  including  central  power  stations. 
Messrs.  Ganz  have  an  automatic  device  by  which  the  cars 
themselves  turn  the  switches,  when  a single  track  with  turn- 
out is  employed. 


Tramways  in  Vienna. 

These  are  very  thoroughly  reported  upon  by  United 
States  Consul  Goldschmidt  in  his  recent  letter  to  the  State 
Department,  which  will  soon  be  printed  in  the  consular  re- 
ports. In  addition,  all  that  needs  to  be  said  is  that  the 
tracks  are  not  laid  in  any  street  within  the  Ring-Strasse, 
which  surrounds  the  centre  of  the  city. 

The  street-cars  in  Milan  are,  in  cleanliness,  attractiveness, 
etc.,  quite  the  equal  of  Boston  street-cars,  and  are  in  this 
respect  superior  to  the  cars  of  any  European  city  that  I have 
seen. 


UNDERGROUND  RAILWAYS. 

The  Greathead  Tunnels. 

The  tunnel  railway  in  London,  which  has  been  one  of  the 
chief  reasons  for  this  investigation  and  report,  is  a system 
about  which  it  is  somewhat  difficult  to  speak.  If  the  so- 
called  Greathead  tunnels,  with  their  stations,  trains,  etc., 
were  to  be  literally  copied  in  Boston,  they  would  not  give 
general  satisfaction.  They  do  afford  a reasonably  speedy 
transit.  The  distance  from  the  Monument  in  the  city  to 
Stockwell  on  the  south  side  of  the  Thames  is  three  and  one- 
quarter  miles,  and  the  space  is  covered,  with  unnecessarily 
long  waits  at  the  four  intermediate  stations,  in  fifteen 
minutes.  The  speed  might  easily  be  increased,  and  the 'de- 
lays at  stations  reduced,  so  as  to  make  the  distance  in  ten 
minutes.  So  far  the  plan  is  a success,  and  in  judging  of 
other  less  satisfactory  features  it  is  only  fair  to  take  into 
account  the  conditions  under  which  the  tunnels  were  built. 


78 


The  undertaking  was  in  the  nature  of  an  experiment. 
Before  those  interested  in  tunnel  construction  of  this  class 
could  obtain  from  Parliament  the  charter  they  desired,  it 
was  necessary  to  prove  by  an  object-lesson  that  tunnels  of 
the  type  proposed  could  be  built,  and,  when  built,  could  be 
successfully  operated.  The  route  selected  for  this  trial  was 
one  from  which  a very  large  patronage  could  not  be  hoped 
for,  and  it  was  obviously  for  the  interests  of  the  promoters 
of  the  line  to  spend  upon  it  no  more  money  than  was  im- 
peratively called  for.  The  total  cost  was  about  £600,000, 
but  the  work  shows  the  effects  both  of  cheap  construction 
and  the  conditions  under  which  it  was  carried  on.  The 
tracks  are  not  evenly  laid,  unlike  in  this  respect  most  Eng- 
lish railroads;  the  cars  are  cheai)ly  built,  with  ])Oor  springs 
and  dingy  furnishings,  and  are  badly  lighted,  even  though 
electricity  is  used,  while  the  stations  and  their  appointments 
are  exceedingly  unattractive. 

Beside  those  defects,  due  in  part,  perhaps,  to  poor  taste  or 
bad  judgment,  but  more  to  an  insufficient  supply  of  money 
to  properly  perform  the  work,  the  company  was  compelled 
to  build  its  two  tunnels  under  the  public  streets,  except  when 
crossing  under  the  river.  This  necessitated  carrying  the 
tunnels  immediately  after  leaving  the  station  in  London,  one 
al)ove  the  other,  through  a lane  of  only  twelve  feet  in  width, 
reached  by  a curve  and  descent  so  sharp  that  the  under 
tunnel  of  the  two  is  built  on  an  incline  of  one  foot  in  four- 
teen,— and  this  on  a curve  having  a radius  of  one  hundred 
feet  (one  and  one-half  chains).  This  may  be  a skilful  piece 
of  engineering,  but  it  gives  to  the  train  a corkscrew  motion,’ 
the  disagreeable  features  of  which  are  intensified  to  the  pas- 
senger by  the  hard  riding  qualities  of  the  cars.  This  is  the 
worst  point  of  all  ; but  there  are  other  ^slaces  where  the 
necessity  of  following  the  line  of  the  streets  has  caused 
abrupt  turns,  that  are  not  productive  of  comfortable  travel- 
ling. Beside  this,  the  size  of  the  tunnel  is  small,  ten  and 
one-half  feet  in  diameter;  and  as  quite  a t)art  of  this  space  is 


79 


taken  up  by  the  hydraulic  pipes,  — which,  receiving  power 
from  the  central  station  at  Stockwell,  are  used  to  run  the 
elevators  at  all  of  the  stations,  — there  is  hardly  more  than 
nine  feet  in  diameter  allowed  for  the  cars.  The  cylindrical 
form  of  these  cars  gives  them  a greater  apparent  size  than 
they  possess  ; but  they  are  not  large  enough,  either  in  fact 
or  appearance,  to  suit  American  tastes.  In  consequence 
partly  of  the  flanges  of  the  iron  covering,  which  at  short 
intervals  protrude  into  the  tunnel  for  a distance  of  an  inch 
or  two,  and  paitly  because  each  tunnel  is  a single-tracked 
one,  there  is  a great  and  decidedly  objectionable  noise  pro- 
duced when  a train  proceeds  at  a relatively  high  rate  of 
speed.  This  could  be  materially  lessened,  as  it  will  be  in 
the  New  Central  London  tunnel,  by  giving  a smooth  surface 
to  the  interior ; but,  after  passing  through  some  two  or  three 
score  of  single  and  double  tracked  tunnels  in  Austria  and 
northern  Italy,  I am  of  the  oi)inion  that  a tunnel  having 
dimensions  only  for  a single  track  holds,  echoes,  and  reechoes 
the  sounds  produced  by  a passing  train  in  a manner  quite 
without  its  parallel  in  a double-tracked  tunnel. 

It  will  be  seen,  from  what  has  been  said,  that  there  are  a 
number  of  serious  defects  in  the  Greathead  tunnel  system, 
as  it  is  exemplified  in  the  London  and  Stockwell  line.  The 
question  to  consider  is  whether  the  merits  of  the  system 
could  be  taken  and  its  defects  rejected  in  an  American 
adaptation.  It  would  be  necessary  to  continue  the  single 
tunnel  feature,  for  by  means  of  this  the  expense  is  reduced 
and  a cheap,  easy,  and  tolerably  fair  method  of  ventilation 
is  secured  ; and  if  the  tunnels  were  made  smooth  on  the  in- 
side, by  filling  with  cement  the  spaces  between  the  flanges, 
it  is  proV)able  that  the  noise  now  complained  of  would  be 
very  decidedly  reduced.  The  stations,  the  elevators,  the 
tracks,  and  the  cars  could  all  be  made  so  as  to  be  much  more 
sightly  and  comfortable  — one  or  both  ; while  if  the  tunnels 
could  be  run  between  stations  in  i)ractically  straight  lines, 
not  a little  of  the  discomfort  incident  to  travel  in  the  London 


80 


tunnels  could  be  avoided.  In  other  words,  the  Greathead 
system  furnishes  the  su.irges'tions,  at  least,  of  a method  of 
urban  rapid  transit,  which  might  be  wisely  adopted  in  Bos- 
ton, if  it  is  thought  desirable  to  have  a system  of  rapid 
transit  entirely  independent,  though  connecting,  with  exist- 
ing systems  of  transit,  either  of  steam  or  street  railway. 

The  trains  start  at  intervals  of  five  minutes,  this  being  in 
accordance  with  Board  of  Trade  regulations,  which  permit 
no  train  to  leave  a station  until  the  train  in  front  has  left  the 
preceding  station.  The  engines  have  electric  motors  attached 
directly  to  their  axles,  thus  doing  away  with  gearing,  and 
also  with  a large  part  of  the  noise  incident  to  the  use  of 
motors  on  our  cars. 

Mr.  Greathead  proposes  in  the  new  tunnel,  which  will  be 
four  and  one-half  miles  long,  to  run  trains  at  very  short 
intervals  by  means  of  automatic  devices  which  will  prevent  a 
following  train  from  obtaining  electric  power  when  it  ap- 
[)roaches  too  near  to  a preceding  train,  and  he  will  also 
arrange  methods  l)y  which  the  signal  men  can  shut  off  the 
power  from  any  train  at  their  pleasure. 

The  Central  London  tunnel  will  have  a diameter  of  eleven 
and  one-half  feet.  Mr.  Greathead  estimates  that  it  will  cost 
about  four  shillings  per  square  yard  to  remove  the  earth,  and 
is  of  the  opinion,  from  his  experience  as  consulting  engineer 
of  the  North-river  tunnel,  that  the  expense  would  not  be 
much  more  in  the  United  States. 

At  the  Stock  well  station  there  is  an  opening  to  the  surface 
of  the  ground,  this  consisting  of  a tunnel  having  an  ascent  of 
one  foot  in  ten,  up  which  the  cars  and  engines  are  dragged 
by  hydraulic  power,  when  it  is  necessary  to  repair  them. 
There  are  at  the  central  station  three  engines,  two  constantly 
employed  during  the  hours  of  train  service. 

Metropolitan  and  District  Roads. 

The  underground  steam-railways  of  London  are  owned 
and  worked  by  the  two  above-named  companies.  The 


81 


former  is  the  older  organization,  and  its  line  is  located,  in 
the  main,  about  a mile  and  a half  north  of  the  Thames,  run- 
ning east  and  west,  and  connecting  with  the  steam-railway 
stations  on  that  side  of  the  city  ; while  the  District  Company’s 
line  follows  substantially  the  north  bank  of  the  river,  con- 
necting with  such  of  the  surface  railroad  stations  it  passes  by 
subways  and  stairways.  The  two  lines  form  a circuit  of  four- 
teen and  a half  miles,  around  which  trains  are  run  in  each  di- 
rection at  intervals  of  about  ten  minutes.  Beside  this,  several 
of  the  surface  raihvay  companies  run  a number  of  their  sub- 
urban trains,  some  over  the  circuit  and  others  to  certain 
central  points  on  one  or  the  other  of  the  two  lines.  In  ad- 
dition, both  the  Metropolitan  and  District  Companies  have 
built  suburban  branches  (surface  roads),  and  trains  are  run 
from  these  both  over  the  inner  and  also  over  what  is  called 
the  outer  circuit.  Altogether,  eighteen  trains  an  hour  are 
regularl}^  run  during  the  day,  through  the  greater  part  of 
the  tunnels,  and  for  a short  time  in  the  morning  and  evening 
twenty  trains  an  hour  are  run.  This,  however,  is  the  limit 
of  capacit3%  particularly  in  view  of  the  crossing  of  the  tracks 
occasioned  by  connecting  roads. 

In  the  morning  and  evening  the  trains  are  full,  but  in  one 
direction  ; but  during  the  middle  of  the  day,  and  also  in  the 
evening,  the  patronage  is  relatively  small.  It  is,  however, 
found  more  convenient,  and  even  cheaper,  to  keep  all  but  the 
few  extra  trains  mentioned  running  from  morning  to  night, 
rather  than  to  haul  them  off  when  demand  slackens.  The 
system  of  train-running  is  made  safely  possil)le  only  by  the 
most  careful  method  of  signalling.  When  distances  between 
stations  are  short,  a train  is  not  allowed  to  leave  a station 
until  a signal  has  been  received  that  the  preceding  train  has 
left  the  station  in  advance.  When  the  distance  between 
stations  is  longer,  the  train  is  allowed  to  go  as  far  as  signal 
lights  placed  in  the  tunnel  ; but  must  then  stop,  unless  the 
signal  is  given  to  go  on.  In  foggy  weather  the  companies 
have  men  stationed  at  everv  signal-light  to  warn  the  engine- 
men  if  the  signals  cannot  be  })lainly  seen. 


82 


The  service  begins  at  4 A.M.  and  ends  at  midnight.  The 
men  in  the  signal  stations  are  worked  in  three  shifts,  each 
man  serving  something  less  than  eight  hours  a day.  They 
are  paid  from  $(5  to  $7.50  a week,  and  have  every  other  Sun- 
day off.  The  engine-men  work  in  two  shifts,  serving  about 
10  hours  each,  and  are  paid  about  $2  a day.  Firemen  work- 
ing under  the  same  conditions  get  about  $7  a week  ; guards, 
or  conductors,  about  the  same  as  firemen.  There  are  two 
guards  to  each  train. 

The  time  required  for  making  the  circuit  trip  is  one  hour 
and  ten  minutes.  The  fares  are,  in  substance,  for  short  dis- 
tances : per  mile,  first  class,  about  4 cents  ; second  class, 
about  3 cents;  and  third  class,  about  2 cents.  For  longer 
distances  the  rates  per  mile  are  about  two-thirds  of  those 
just  given.  Season  tickets  for  first  and  second  classes  are 
sold  for  one  month,  three  months,  six  months,  nine  months, 
and  a year,  for  unlimited  use,  which,  if  used  daily  in  making 
one  trip  in  and  out  of  town,  would  represent  a reduction  in 
fare  of  about  15  per  cent,  for  the  shortest,  and  30  per  cent, 
for  the  longest  time  stated. 

The  two  roads  each  carry  in  a year  about  40,000,000  pas- 
sengers over  their  lines.  They  pay  the  interest  on  their 
bonded  indebtedness,  but  give  little  or  nothing  to  their  stock- 
holders.  This  financial  result  is  due,  partly  to  the  great  cost 
of  construction,  averaging  $4,000,000  per  mile  with  the  Dis- 
trict road,  partly  to  the  conditions  under  which  the  money 
originally  subscribed  was  obtained,  — that  is,  on  the  basis  of 
two-thirds  actual  cash  payment,  — and  partly  to  losses  caused 
injudicious  extensions.  Until  a few  years  ago  the  two 
roads  connected  at  the  West  End  of  London,  and  together 
took  the  form  of  a horseshoe,  the  District  road  stopping  at 
the  Mansion  House,  and  the  Metropolitan  at  Aldersgate.  It 
was  thought  that  the  closing  of  this  space  and  the  formation 
of  a circuit  road  would  greatly  improve  the  business  and  re- 
ceipts of  both  roads,  hence  the  tvvo  companies  each  built 
lines  to  Aldgate  East,  and  then  jointly  from  that  station  to 


83 


'Whitechapel,  Mile  End.  While  this  extension  gave,  beside 
the  circuit  route,  a connection  with  the  East  London  rail- 
road, its  construction  appears  to  have  been,  financially  con- 
sidered, a mistake,  especially  in  the  case  of  the  District 
Company.  The  extension  it  built  had  a length  of  rather 
more  than  a mile,  and  cost  to  construct  fully  $5,000,000  per 
mile,  while  its  existence  has  added  but  little  to  the  revenue 
of  the  company. 

The  tunnel  railways  are  compelled  to  pump  constantly  at 
eight  different  places  to  keep  their  lines  free  from  water. 
The  air  in  the  tunnels  is  not  seriously  objectionable,  but  this 
result  is  obtained  by  having  at  intervals  large  openings  over 
the  track-way  — which,  of  course,  involves  the  surrender  of 
land  that  might  otherwise  be  built  upon — and  i)y  using 
exhaust  fans,  run  by  gas-engines,  at  a number  of  different 
points.  The  noise  in  the  tunnels  is  certainly  less  than  in  the 
single-tracked  Greathead  tunnels. 

The  tunnel  lines  are  only  of  use  for  urban  and  suburban 
travel.  No  long-distance  trains  are  run  over  the  lines, 
although  transfer  connections  can  be  made  at  the  different 
stations  if  passengers  have  no  heavy  luggage.  There  is  no 
pi-ovision  made  for  handling  trunks  and  the  other  large  im- 
pedimenta  of  travel.  It  is  held  thal  to  attempt  this  would 
involve  delays  at  the  stations,  and  that  it  is  better  for  those 
coming  or  going  over  long-distance  routes  to  take  a carriage 
to  go  to  or  from  the  stations  and  their  homes  or  hotels.  The 
cars  upon  the  underground  lines  are  much  the  same  in  style 
and  construction  as  those  used  upon  the  surface  railroads  in 
England,  but  the  newer  cars  are  built  lighter. 

As  may  be  inferred,  these  underground  roads  are  not 
financially  successful,  and  it  is  questionable  whether  they 
can  ever  be  made  so.  Mr.  Powell,  the  general  manager, 
assured  me  that  if  it  were  not  for  the  suburban  branches  his 
company  has  built,  it  could  not  have  avoided  bankruptcy. 
But  these  branches,  which  are  surface  lines,  cannot  increase 
the  number  of  trains  they  now  run  through  the  tunnel.  For, 


84 


according  to  Mr.  Powell’s  working  assistants,  while  thirty 
trains  an  hour  could  be  run  around  a strictly  circuit  road, 
with  ease  and  safety,  twenty  trains  an  hour  is  all  that  can  be 
run  on  the  same  circuit,  when  these  trains  are  taken  from  or 
delivered  to  connecting  lines  of  road.  That  is,  when  branch 
lines  arc  connected  with  a circuit  road,  the  delays  incident 
to  the  crossing  of  tracks  and  to  the  providing  of  regular 
times  for  the  running  of  these  outside  trains,  make  very 
rapid  and  frequent  service  impossible.  The  larger  the 
number  of  connecting  roads  the  more  serious  the  delay.  In 
order  to  improve  its  financial  condition,  as  it  must  if  its 
shareholders  are  to  receive  anything,  the  District  Company 
should  enlarge  and  stimulate  its  suburban  service  ; but  its 
main  tunnel  line  is  now  so  occupied  by  trains  during  the 
busy  hours  of  the  morning  and  evening  that  it  does  not 
seem  probable  that  it  can  add  much  to  this  part  of  its  ser- 
vice, even  if  the  demands  of  its  suburban  line  became  much 
more  exacting.  Mr.  Powell’s  opinion  was  that  a metropoli- 
tan line  should  be  either  a circuit  road,  without  direct  con- 
nections,— that  is,  one  where  the  passengers  should  transfer 
themselves,  which,  he  admitted,  would  be  an  unprofitable 
system  for  the  London  District  road,  — or  should  be  built 
upon  radiating  lines.  This  last  theory  of  radiating  lines  is 
one  held,  it  may  be  added,  by  Mr.  Greathead,  who  will,  no 
doubt,  embody  it  in  his  future  construction  in  London. 

Proposed  Tunnel  System  in  Paris. 

In  spite  of  the  wide  streets  and  boulevards,  and  the 
numerous  omnibus  and  tramway  lines  in  Paris,  and  the  sys- 
tem of  circuit  railroad,  maintained  by  the  Railroad  Company 
of  the  West,  the  people  of  that  city  are  greatly  dissatisfied 
with  their  local  methods  of  transportation.  It  exhausts  quite 
an  hour  and  a half  to  go  from  one  side  of  the  city  to  the 
other,  and  at  certain  parts  of  the  day  the  crowd  of  vehicles 
in  the  chief  streets  is  so  great  that  if  it  were  not  for  the 
admirable  regulations  established  and  enforced  by  the  police 


85 


authorities,  a complete  arrest  of  travel  could  hardly  be  pre- 
vented. 

There  have  been  a number  of  projects  prepared  for  meeting 
and  overcoming  this  defect.  The  one  which  seems  to  have  the 
best  chances  of  success,  because  it  has  been  prepared  by  a dis- 
tinguished engineer,  M.  Eiffel,  has  the  support  of  wealthy 
capitalists,  and  is  to  some  extent  approved  by  the  great  rail- 
way companies,  consists  of  a circuit  route  through  the  central 
part  of  Paris,  of  about  seven  and  one-half  miles  in  length. 
Nearl}^  two-thirds  of  this  would  be  by  tunnel,  and  one-third  by 
viaduct ; at  least  this  is  the  length  of  the  last  Metropolitan 
road  proposed,  and  the  relative  proportions  of  under  and 
above  ground  track.  It  is  probable  that  this  plan  will  be  in 
a number  of  ways  modified  before  it  is  definitely  adopted. 
M.  Eiffel’s  first  intention  was  simply  to  obtain  a concession 
from  the  government  permitting  him  to  form  a company  to 
build  this  road,  under  an  agreement  to  divide  with  the  gov- 
ernment all  profits  over  8 per  cent.  ; but,  apparently,  he 
has  not  yet  succeeded  in  obtaining  the  approval  of  the  Min- 
ister of  Commerce,  or  in  winning  the  consent  of  the  municipal 
council  of  Paris,  and  it  is  also  intimated  that,  failing  to 
obtain  by  private  subscription  the  money  needed,  the  next 
proposition  will  be  for  the  State  to  guarantee  interest  and 
principal  on  the  bonds  that  may  be  issued  for  the  money 
needed  to  build  this  road,  which  may  be  undertaken  either 
by  one  of  the  great  railway  companies,  such  as  the  North  or 
West,  or  by  a corporation  formed  for  that  purpose.  The 
cost  of  the  work  proposed  in  the  last  plan  was  estimated  at 
about  f.84,000,000,  or  say  $2,400,000  per  mile.  By  this 
plan  it  was  designed  to  tunnel  under  a number  of  the  prin- 
cipal streets,  and  to  use  other  streets,  or  their  sidewalks,  for 
the  elevated  railroad  structure,  which  was  to  be  in  construc- 
tion somewhat  similar  to  that  in  use  in  New  York  City.  The 
part  of  Paris  where  it  was  proposed  to  elevate  the  road  is 
devoted  to  manufacturing  purposes.  It  is  hardly  necessary 
to  dwell  on  this  project,  still  in  an  unformed  condition. 


86 


except  to  remark  that  in  Paris,  as  in  other  large  cities,  the 
need  of  some  special  means  of  quick  transportation  is  coming 
into  general  recognition.  The  promoters  of  the  plan  referred 
to  say  in  their  memoir : "No  question  is  more  worthy  of 
interest  to  the  public  authorities,  for  its  solution  is  intimately 
bound  with  the  amelioration  of  the  conditions  of  existence  of 
the  classes  the  most  numerous  and  the  poorest.”  These, 
they  go  on  to  sa}’,  are  now  " frequently  compelled  to  lose 
valuable  time  in  exasperating  delays  at  the  omnibus  stations, 
or  in  fatiguing  walks,  — time  which  ofien  represents  to  them 
an  important  part  of  the  period  of  repose  after  their  work.” 

Mersey  Tunnel. 

There  is  a tunnel  under  the  river  Mersey,  at  Liverpool, 
connecting  that  city  with  Birkenhead.  This  was  built,  and 
is  owned  and  operated,  by  the  Merse}'  Kail  way  Company. 
The  work  of  construction  was  exceedingly  expensive,  and  the 
tunnel  and  the  railroad  running  through  it  have  never  been 
tinancially  successful.  This  is  said  to  have  been  dae  to  the 
fact  that  the  tunnel  road  had  no  connections.  This  error,  if 
it  was  one,  has  been  recently  corrected,  and  passengers  can 
now  take  the  tunnel  line  for  points  some  miles  south  of  the 
river. 


ELEVATED  RAILKOADS. 

The  Stadtbaiin  of  Berlin. 

The  elevated  railroad  in  Europe  which  has  deservedly  the 
highest  reputation  is  the  Stadtbaiin  of  Berlin,  particularly 
when  taken  in  connection  with  its  connecting  roads,  the  North 
Ring  and  the  South  Ring.  The  cost  of  the  main  line,  which 
is  8.8  miles  long,  is  stated  to  have  been  65,000,000  marks, 
or,  say,  $16,270,000,  this  covering  the  outlay  needed  to 
build  the  viaduct  and  the  structures  of  a four-track  road. 
The  location  of  this  line  was  determined  by  the  two  terminal 
stations  at  the  east  and  west  ends  of  the  city,  the  Fried - 
rich-street  station,  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  and  the  wish  to 


87 


connect  these  three  together  at  the  smallest  expense,  with- 
out too  great  deviation  from  a direct  line.  There  were  no 
walls  or  other  open  spaces,  except  the  river  Spree,  that  could 
be  utilized  ; the  land  needed  had  to  be  condemned  and  pur- 
chased as  in  ordinary  railroad  construction.  At  one  point 
the  price  asked  for  the  land  was  so  great  that  it  was  thought 
advisable  to  utilize  a part  of  the  river ; but  the  statement  is 
made  that  by  reason  of  the  unsatisfactory  foundations  ol)- 
tained,  and  the  need  the  builders  were  under  of  providing 
better  ones,  it  would  have  been  quite  as  cheap,  if  not 
cheaper,  to  have  purchased  and  l)uilt  upon  the  high-priced 
land. 

The  main  viaduct  is  a masonry  structure,  except  where  a 
street-crossing  is  made,  when  iron  bridges  are  employed. 
The  reason  given  for  building  a stone  rather  than  an  iron 
viaduct  is  that  the  former,  but  not  the  latter,  will  permit  of 
the  readjustment  of  the  tracks  in  any  manner  that  may  be 
desired.  In  the  suburbs  the  desired  elevation  is  obtained  by 
means  of  embankments.  If  the  road  were  to  be  rebuilt,  ar- 
rangements would  be  made  to  utilize  the  space  beneath  the 
tracks.  Where  by  chance  open  arches  have  been  left  that 
can  be  utilized  for  store  purposes,  it  has  been  found  that  the 
space  can  be  rented,  particularly  near  the  stations,  to  ex- 
ceedingly good  advantage. 

There  are  four  tracks  throughout  the  central  road  or  Stadt- 
bahn,  — two  for  distant  travel,  and  two  for  local  l)usiness. 
These  are  kept  wholly  distinct,  and  the  long-distance  trains 
do  not  stop  at  any  but  the  larger  stations  on  the  line,  and  at 
these  take  or  leave  only  passengers  coming  from  or  going  to 
a long  distance,  — that  is,  some  place  outside  of  the  local 
service.  At  the  present  time  the  local  trains  are  run  at  a 
headway  of  five  minutes,  and  during  quite  a part  of  the  day 
twelve  trains  an  hour  are  run  each  way  through  the  local 
service  of  the  main  line  ; but  in  a short  time  more  the  fares 
are  to  be  reduced  on  the  lines,  and  at  the  same  time  a larger 
number  of  suburban  trains  are  to  to  be  put  on,  so  that,  with 


88 


a headway  of  three  minutes,  there  will  be  twenty  trains 
each  way  per  hour.  These  trains  run  with  from  eight  to 
ten  cars,  each  car  carrying  fifty  passengers.  The  local 
trains  stay  in  the  stations,  on  stopping,  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  seconds.  The  European  type  of  railroad  cars  lends 
itself  to  the  quick  egress  and  ingress  of  passengers.  The 
only  defect  is,  that  some  of  the  compartments  may  be 
crowded  with  people,  while  in  other  parts  of  the  train  there 
may  be  compartments  with  but  one  or  two  passengers,  or, 
perhaps,  with  no  passengers  in  them.  On  the  local  trains 
there  are  only  two  classes  of  cars  — second  and  third.  The 
rates  of  fare  in  the  third  class  are  10  pfennigs,  or  2^  cents, 
for  a distance  represented  by  five  stations  or  less,  and  15 
pfennigs,  or  3|  cents,  for  the  same  distance  in  the  second- 
class  cars.  This  distance  is  to  be  increased,  with  no  change 
in  price,  to  at  least  six  stations  instead  of  five,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  encouraging  local  travel,  and  inducing  settlement  in 
the  suburban  districts.  The  manner  of  selling  commutation 
tickets  is  highly  commendable  on  account  of  its  regularity. 
The  tickets  are  issued  without  limit  as  to  the  number  of 
times  that  their  holders  may  ride  while  having  them,  at  the 
following  rates  : — 


1 month  the  ( 

2 months  the 

3 months  the 

4 months  the 

5 months  the 

6 months  the 

7 months  the 

8 months  the 

9 months  the 

10  months  the 

11  months  the 

12  months  the 


equivalent  of 
equivalent  of 
equivalent  of 
equivalent  of 
equivalent  of 
equivalent  of 
equivalent  of 
equivalent  of 
equivalent  of 
equivalent  of 
equivalent  of 
equivalent  of 


30  single  fares. 
50  single  fares. 
65  sino^le  fares. 

O 

80  single  fares. 
95  single  fares. 
110  single  fares. 
125  single  fares. 
140  single  fares. 
155  single  fares. 
170  single  fares. 
185  single  fares. 
200  single  fares. 


89 


If  a person  holding  a season  ticket  of  three  months  oi* 
more  wishes  to  leave  town  for  a period  of  fourteen  days  or 
more,  he  may,  by  giving  notice  at  the  registration  office, 
have  his  ticket  extended  for  a period  equivalent  to  that  which 
he  does  not  propose  to  use  it. 

The  main  line  is  8.8  miles  long,  with  ten  stations,  or  an 
averas^e  of  one  station  in  .88  of  a mile. 

The  North  Ring  route  is  12.56  miles  long,  with  twelve 
stations,  or  on  an  average  of  one  station  in  1.045  miles. 

The  South  Ring  route  is  16.30  miles  long,  with  nine 
stations,  or  on  an  average  of  one  station  to  1.8  miles. 

It  will  be  seen,  when  general  averages  are  taken  into 
account,  that  the  single  rate  of  fare  which  now  obtains  gives 
a ride  of  about  five  miles  on  the  railway  for  2^  cents  in 
the  third  class,  and  3|  cents  in  the  second  class. 

The  running  time  from  one  end  of  the  main  line  to  the 
other,  including  stops  (8.8  miles),  is  twenty-nine  minutes. 

Through  the  main  line  and  over  the  North  Ring  (21.36 
miles),  one  hour  and  twenty-five  minutes. 

Through  the  main  line  and  over  the  South  Ring  (25.10 
miles),  one  hour  and  twenty-five  minutes. 

This  speed,  while  not  high,  is  probably  as  great  as  that  of 
any  similar  service  in  the  world. 

Where  the  stations  are  far  apart,  as  on  the  South  Ring, 
the  effect  of  the  system  adopted  of  fixing  fares  is  to  benefit 
this  somewhat  sparsely  settled  district,  by  granting  to  it 
trans[)ortation  at  very  low  rates,  for  the  policy  of  the  govern- 
ment, as  embodied  in  the  direction  of  the  road,  is  to  en- 
courage the  building  of  suburban  residences.  It  may  also 
happen  that,  by  grading  fares  on  the  station  basis,  the  rail- 
road authorities  can  prevent  the  demands  for  too  frequent 
stations,  as  the  establishment  of  a new  one  would  have  the 
effect  of  increasing  fares  to  many  who  lived  at  stations  be- 
youd  the  one  desired,  and  their  protests  against  such  estab- 
lishment could  probably  be  counted  upon. 

The  roads  of  the  North  and  South  Rings  follow  in  the 


90 


main  the  surface  of  the  ground  ; but  there  are  no  streets 
crossed  at  grade,  nor  is  there  any  railroad  track  crossed 
except  at  different  elevation.  This  statement  does  not  of 
course  apply  to  the  points  at  the  two  ends  of  the  main  line, 
where  the  trains  leave  it  for  the  North  and  South  Kings. 
Here  the  tracks  of  the  local,  though  not  the  long-distance, 
service  are  crossed  at  grade,  and  will  continue  to  be  until 
the  main  line  is  provided  with  six  tracks, — two  for  distant 
business,  two  for  the  North  King,  and  two  for  the  South  King 
trains.  This  increase  in  tracks  would  involve  large  additional 
exi)enditures,  but  the  railroad  officials  appear  to  believe  that 
it  will  before  long  have  to  be  undertaken.  When  the  road 
was  first  built  the  criticism  was  made  that  it  was  far  too 
extensive  for  the  demands  of  travel  for  a generation  or  more 
to  come.  But  though  the  main  line  was  formally  opened  in 
February,  1882,  the  passenger  traffic  upon  it  has  grown  so 
rapidly  that  already  the  question  of  the  sufficiency  of  facilities 
has  been  brought  upas  a matter  needing  immediate  attention. 
With  two  tracks  only  devoted  to  the  local  service,  and  with 
a maximum  number  of  twenty  trains  an  hour  each  way,  it 
is  probable,  considering  the  hours  of  travel,  that  150,000 
passengers  a day  would  be  all  that  the  main  line  could  carry  ; 
and  althouo^h  this  number  is  much  more  considerable  than 
that  which  would  represent  those  now  carried,  it  is  no  larger 
than  the  number  who  daily  arrive  and  depart  from  a single 
London  station.  The  Stadtbahn  and  the  King  Bahns  of 
Berlin  have,  in  the  opinion  of  good  authorities,  tended 
greatly  to  stimulate  the  growth  in  population  of  the  city ; 
but  that  growth  is  having  the  effect  of  making  insufficient  the 
facililies  furnished. 

Freight  trains  are  not  allowed  upon  the  main  line  during 
the  day.  On  the  South  and  North  Kings  they  are  permitted, 
as  in  this  way  only  can  they  reach  a number  of  the  freight 
stations.  At  the  present  time,  work  is  going  on  which,  in 
four  or  five  years  more,  will  give  to  both  North  and  South 
Kings  a complete  double-track  freight  service,  entirely  dis- 
tinct from  the  passenger  lines. 


91 


The  main  line  serves  to  supply  the  central  market  of 
Berlin.  Cars  filled  with  food  supplies,  other  than  live  ani- 
mals, arriving  during  the  day,  are  kept  on  side  tracks  on  the 
Ring  lines  until  midnight,  when,  with  such  other  provision 
cars  as  may  have  arrived  during  the  evening,  they  are  brought 
to  the  side  tracks  of  the  market  near  the  centre  of  the  city. 
Here  they  are  immediately  unloaded,  and  their  contents  let 
down  on  large  hydraulic  elevators  to  the  main  floor  of  the 
market,  which  is  on  a level  with  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
The  supplies  thus  received  and  delivered  aggregate  from  one 
hundred  and  twenty  to  one  hundred  and  sixty  carloads  each 
night.  The  side  tracks  of  the  market  will  not  accommodate 
more  than  forty  freight  cars  at  a time,  hence  when  unloaded 
they  are  immediately  taken  away  to  make  room  for  others. 
When,  a few  years  ago,  this  market  method  was  introduced 
to  take  the  place  of  the  general  sale  of  produce  from  carts,  it 
aroused  great  opposition,  which  has  now,  however,  wholly 
died  out,  from  the  discovery  that  by  the  new  method  the 
prices  of  food  supplies  have  been  sensibly  reduced.  The 
market  is  owned  and  stalls  leased  by  the  city,  but  the 
management  of  the  market  traffic,  until  the  produce  comes 
within  the  walls  of  the  market,  rests  in  the  hands  of  the 
State  officials. 

The  same  system  obtains  in  the  management  of  the  Berlin 
slaughter-houses,  which  are  located  on  the  North  Ring,  and 
at  which  as  many  as  49,000  head  of  animals  of  all  kinds  have 
been  landed  in  a day  (the  average  daily  supply  is  30,000). 
Here,  too,  the  service  of  delivery  is  largely  performed  at 
night ; though  when  the  special  freight  tracks  are  com})leted 
this  will  not  be  necessary. 

The  long-distance  passenger  service  on  the  Stadtbahn  is 
confined  to  trains  going  east  and  west ; those  railroads  run- 
ning northward  or  southward  from  Berlin  having  their  own 
main  stations,  though  connection  can  be  made  with  their  line 
by  one  or  the  other  of  the  Ring  roads.  It  is  probable,  how- 
ever, that  this  method  is  not  often  em[)loyed.  The  trains 


02 


running  east  and  west  from  Berlin  pass  over  the  Stadtbahn. 
The  trains  going  east  start  usuallj^  from  the  west  end  of  the 
cit}^  stopping  for  two  or  three  minutes’ time  at  three  or  four 
of  the  main  stations  on  the  route.  Similarly,  long-distance 
trains  for  the  west  start  from  the  east  end  of  the  city,  and 
take  up  their  passengers  as  they  proceed  westward  over  the 
Stadtbahn. 

While  this  railway  system  is  of  great  strategical  value  to 
Germany,  giving  an  advantage,  it  is  said,  of  at  least  one  day 
in  the  mobilization  of  the  army,  it  was  originally  planned 
both  by  MW.  Orth  and  Hartwich  with  an  eye  to  ordinary 
rather  than  extraordinary  purposes.  Its  construction  was 
first  undertaken  by  a company  formed  for  the  purpose,  which 
was  to  be  assisted  by  the  government,  and  it  was  only  when 
this  company  failed  to  keep  the  engagements  it  had  made 
that  the  national  government  took  up  and  finished  the  work. 

The  Liverpool  Elevated  Eoad. 

This  new  overhead  railway  in  process  of  construction  at 
Liverpool  is  owned  and  will  l)e  0})erated  by  a private  com- 
pany, which  has  acquired  the  concession  from  the  Liverpool 
Dock  Board  (which  is,  in  substance,  a branch  of  the  city 
government ; such,  for  example,  as  the  Boston  School  Board 
is)  for  a period  of  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  years.  By 
the  terms  of  this  concession  the  railway  company  pays  to 
the  Dock  Board  a ground  rent  agreed  upon,  for  the  land 
occupied  by  it ; and  further  agrees  to  divide  its  profits  with 
the  Board,  after  paying  five  per  cent,  per  annum  to  its  share- 
holders. The  Dock  Board  reserves  the  right  to  terminate 
the  lease  at  any  time  by  the  purchase  of  the  structure  and 
equipments  at  an  agreed-upon  valuation.  The  road  wdll  be 
put  in  service  in  about  a year  more.  It  will  be  operated  by 
electricity,  the  cars  taking  it  from  a wire  fastened  to  the 
structure.  It  is  the  first  elevated  railroad,  so  called,  that 
has  been  built  in  Great  Britain  ; and  the  estimated  cost  of 
construction  and  equipment  is  $400,000  per  mile. 


93 


It  runs  at  the  side  of  and  on  the  line  of  Regent’s  road, 
along  the  water-front  of  the  entire  city,  but  is  almost  wholly 
within  the  boundaries  of  the  Dock  Board  property.  Its 
length,  when  completed,  will  be  six  miles.  The  structure 
is  ordinary  post  and  girder,  providing  for  two  tracks  ; the 
landing-places  are  to  be  at  the  entrance  of  each  dock- 
yard. These  will  apparently  be  little  more  than  open  plat- 
forms. Where  the  track,  of  necessity,  extends  over  the 
public  street,  the  company  agrees,  in  consideration  of  no 
further  charge,  to  pave,  light,  and  keep  clean  the  street  at 
these  points.  The  speed  at  which  it  is  proposed  to  run  the 
cars  on  this  line  is  at  the  rate  of  twenty-five  miles  per  hour. 

Elevated  Railway  in  Paris. 

There  are  two  projects  for  elevated  railways  in  Paris 
which  are  under  consideration  ; but  it  is  exceedingly  doubt- 
ful— though  for  different  reasons  — whether  either  of  them 
will  ever  take  definite  form.  The  first  is  the  plan  of 
M.  Haag  to  connect  the  Railroad  of  the  West  (the  St. 
Lazare  station)  with  the  station  of  the  Lyons  railroad,  l)y 
means  of  a masonry  viaduct.  This  would  give  a road  cross- 
ing the  city,  but  would  hardly  supply  the  need  of  those 
living  at  any  distance  on  either  side.  The  most  serious 
ol)stacle  in  the  way  of  the  adoption- of  this  plan  is  its  cost, 
which  is  estimated  at  more  than  $12,000,000  per  mile. 

Another  project  is  that  proposed  hy  M.  Charles  Leroux, 
who  is  endeavoring,  with  questionable  success,  to  educate 
public  opinion  in  Paris  to  the  imperative  need  of  rapid 
transit,  so  that  it  will  demand  a series  of  elevated  railroads, 
built  through  the  [)rinci[)al  streets  and  boulevards,  which 
would  be  a copy  of  the  New  York  elevated  road.  M.  Leroux 
estimates  the  cost  of  his  structure  at  $1,(500,000  per  mile 
of  double  track.  He  does  not  include  in  his  estimates  any 
outlay  for  damages  to  abutting  property  or  royalty  to  the 
city  or  State  ; admitting  that  the  former  charge,  if  it  were 
im[)oscd,  would  render  im{)ossible  the  construction  of  his 


94 


road.  M.  Leroux  is  carrying  on  his  missionary  work  with 
a great  deal  of  energy  ; but  although  it  is  difficult  to  predict 
future  events,  it  may  be  said  that  few  persons  spoken  to 
would  admit  for  a moment  that  the  Parisians  could  be  in- 
duced to  consent  to  this  disfigurement  of  their  streets,  to 
say  nothing  of  making  no  demand  for  damage  done  to 
adjacent  property. 

TERMINAL  STATIONS. 

Although  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  in  the  facilities  for 
long-distance  travel  the  railroad  companies  of  this  country 
have  little  or  nothing  to  learn  from  exj)erience  of  railroad 
companies  in  Europe,  it  is  almost  equally  certain  that  in  the 
handling  of  short-distance  passenger  traffic,  in  the  construc- 
tion of  terminal  stations,  and  in  the  utilization  of  terminal 
facilities,  the  European  (particularly  the  English)  companies 
are  as  far  in  advance  of  the  American  as  the  American  com- 
])anies  are  of  the  European  in  long-distance  travel,  'fheir 
stations  are  better  arranged  for  business,  their  light  com- 
partment trains  are  possibly  bettei*  adapted  for  quick  move- 
ments, while  in  the  handling  of  their  engines,  trains,  and 
passengers,  their  methods  are  so  far  superior  to  ours  as  to 
be  almost  beyond  comparison. 

The  North  London  Station. 

The  North  London  railroad,  having  its  station  on  Broad 
street,  is  a strictly  local  road,  devoted  to  suburban  business. 
During  the  month  of  Auj^ust  it  sent  out  and  received  each 
day  at  this  station,  on  the  average,  620  passenger  trains,  35 
"empties,”  20  light  engines  (engines  without  trains),  and  70 
goods  trains  — in  all,  nearly  750.  It  sends  out  and  receives 
each  year  more  than  40,000,000  passengers ; that  is,  about 
as  many  as  all  of  the  steam  railroads  of  Boston  combined. 
These  are  received  and  dispatched  in  a station  having  nine 
bays  or  tracks.  Near  the  entrance  of  the  station  there  is  a 
short  siding  to  each  track,  simply  long  enough  to  hold  a 


s 


95 

locomotive,  which  can  there  receive  the  water  and  fuel  it 
needs.  When  a train  from  the  suburbs  enters  the  station, 
and  the  passengers  have  alighted,  the  engine  on  this  siding 
draws  out  and  connects  with  what  was  the  rear  end  of  this 
train,  and  after  a wait  of  from  five  to  ten  minutes,  as  the  case 
may  be,  this  same  train  starts  out  upon  another  trip.  The 
engine  that  brought  it  in  then  backs  down,  enters  the  siding, 
and  is  in  readiness  to  take  out  the  next  train  that  enters  the 
station  on  that  track.  The  trains  are  kept  running  like 
shuttles  from  morning  until  night  between  the  country  and 
the  city  stations.  The  time  for  the  departure  of  a train  is 
placed  at  from  five  to  ten  minutes  after  its  arrival,  whether 
that  arrival  is  morning,  noon,  or  evening.  There  are,  as  the 
term  "empties”  used  above  indicates,  a few  extra  trains  put 
on  in  the  morning  and  evening  when  the  pressure  of  travel  is 
greatest ; but  these  are  apparently  kept,  when  not  in  use,  at 
sul)urban  stations,  rather  than  at  the  city  station.  A short 
distance  outside  of  the  station  the  tracks  are  reduced  to  four, 
these  falling  to  two  after  several  branches  have  been  passed. 

A mile  outside  of  the  London  station  is  located  a signal- 
office,  from  which,  by  dial,  the  signal-man  in  the  box  im- 
mediately in  front  of  the  station  is  notified  of  the  train  that 
is  approaching.  On  receiving  this  information,  he  signals  to 
the  station  to  know  whether  the  regular  track  or  bay  for  the 
coming  train  is  ready  for  its  reception.  If  it  is  so,  the  train 
is  shunted  by  ordinary  methods  into  its  pi  oper  place  ; but 
when  once  there,  by  an  automatic  process,  worked  by  the 
train  itself,  that  bay  is  locked,  and  no  other  train  can  be 
shunted  into  it  until  the  first  train  has  left.  The  traffic 
manager  of  this  road  asserted  that  if  he  attempted  to  follow 
the  American  method  in  making  up  and  dispatching  his 
trains  his  business  would  be  thrown  into  hopeless  confusion. 
In  order  to  do  his  business  he  must,  he  said,  keep  his  trains 
moving,  and  this,  while  absolutely  necessary  to  prevent  con- 
gestion, was  about  as  cheap  as  to  have  them  lie  idle.  The 
trains  are  cleaned  out  by  light  brushing  when  in  the  stations. 


96 


probably  oftener  at  the  country  than  at  the  city  station.  But 
the  English  method  of  having  the  stations  built  with  broad 
platforms  and  glass  roofs,  and  the  opportunity  to  enter  the 
cars  from  the  sides,  tend  to  facilitate  this  work. 

The  Great  Eastern  Station. 

The  Great  Eastern  railroad,  at  its  station  in  Liverpool 
street,  London,  takes  in  and  out  a larger  number  of  passen- 
gers than  enter  and  leave  any  other  railway  station  in  the 
world.  The  daily  average  this  year  has  been  over  170,000, 
or,  say,  including  Sundays,  55,000,000  in  a year,  against  a 
much  smaller  annual  average  for  all  the  stations  of  Boston. 
In  spite  of  its  great  business,  this  company  has  the  highest 
record  in  England  for  prompt  arrivals  and  departures,  this 
determined  by  Parliamentary  inquiry.  The  greater  part  of 
its  passengers  come  in  and  go  out  by  its  suburban  service. 
For  this  it  has  at  its  station  nine  lines  of  track,  with  five 
others  for  its  long-distance  trains,  the  latter  entirely  separated 
from  the  former.  These  suburban  trains  are  received  and 
sent  out  in  the  same  manner  that  trains  in  the  North  London 
station  are  handled,  forty  coming  and  leaving  in  an  hour  in  the 
l)usy  part  of  the  day,  the  average  for  the  day  being  five  hun- 
dred and  twenty.  The  suburban  trains  to  this  station  stay 
there  hardly  more  than  five  minutes.  The  long-distance  trains, 
which  are  made  up  and  brought  into  the  station  in  much  the 
same  way  that  our  American  trains  are,  stay  there  for  a half- 
hour  or  more.  The  company  has  for  some  distance  from  its 
station  six  lines  of  track.  Although  its  passenger  business 
is  large,  the  com[)any  has  never  paid  to  its  shareholders  more 
than  three  per  cent,  per  annum  in  dividends.  This  is  due  to 
the  immense  obligations  to  which  the  so-called  railroad  king, 
Hudson,  committed  the  company  nearly  fifty.years  ago,  in 
constructing  a large  number  of  unprofitable  lines  in  the 
eastern  part  of  England,  lines  which  have  never  yet  paid  ex- 
})enses.  But  the  company  believes  that  its  future  welfare  is 
to  be  found  in  encouraging  the  profitable  and  growing  part 


97 


of  its  business,  that  is,  its  suburban  service,  which  has  lately 
increased  at  the  rate  of  about  fifteen  per  cent,  per  annum.  On 
this  account,  in  spite  of  its  strained  financial  condition,  it  has 
raised  and  is  now  spending  $10,000,000  in  enlarging  and 
improving  its  Liveipool-street  station,  for  the  purpose  of 
better  accommodating  its  suburban  service.  While  the  aver- 
age fares  are  about  a penny  a mile,  this  road  is  compelled  by 
act  of  Parliament  to  run  a workingmen’s  train  out  and  in  for 
twenty  miles,  on  which  the  fare  for  a part  or  the  whole  of 
the  distance  is  one  penny.  As  an  illustration  of  its  commu- 
tation rates  it  may  be  said  that  a season  ticket  for  a year, 
unlimited  as  to  use,  is  sold,  second  class,  for  a four- mile  run, 
for  about  £5,  or  $25. 

The  St.  Lazare  Station. 

The  St.  Lazare  station  in  Paris  of  the  railroad  of  the  West 
is  the  one  which  corresponds  nearest  to  the  two  stations  in 
London  just  referred  to.  To  show  the  increase  that  has 
taken  place  in  its  suburban  business  it  is  only  necessary  to 
say  that  in  1858  the  number  of  local  trains  in  and  out  was 
seventy-two  daily,  and  passengers  carried,  6,438,644  yearly. 
In  1890  the  number  of  local  trains  had  grown  to  306  daily, 
and  passengers  to  26,301,617  yearly,  these  figures  covering 
merely  the  suburban  service.  During  the  time  of  the  French 
ex[)osition  as  many  as  225,000  persons  often  used  the  station 
in  a day.  The  company  owns  and  operates  a line  which  runs 
completely  around  Paris,  just  inside  of  the  walls  of  the  city, 
and  beside  this  has  lines  running  to  Versailles,  St.  Cloud,  St. 
Germain,  Argenteuil,  Pontoise,  and  other  suburban  towns. 
Jn  this  respect  no  other  French  railroad  can  compare  with 
it.  The  St.  Lazare  station  is  an  immense  building,  upon 
which  the  company  has  recently  spent  more  than  $1,000,000 
in  the  way  of  enlargements  and  improvements.  In  this  sta- 
tion there  are  twenty-five  tracks,  sixteen  of  which  are  devoted 
to  suburban  business.  The  arrangements  made  for  receiving 
and  sending  off  suburban  trains  differ  somewhat  from  the 


98 


methods  in  use  in  London.  When  a train  arrives  it  runs 
into  al)ay  in  the  station  which  has  two  tracks.  At  the  end 
of  each  of  these  bays,  nearest  the  head-house,  is  a small  turn- 
table and  a shifting  platform,  both  operated  by  hydraulic 
power.  The  engine  is  turned  and  shifted  to  the  parallel 
track  in  less  than  a minute’s  time,  and  if  that  track  is  vacant 
it  can  go  out  and  back  down  to  the  other  end  of  the  train  it 
has  just  brought  in,  or,  if  the  track  is  occupied,  it  can  go  out 
just  as  soon  as  the  train  which  stands  in  the  way  has  left. 
This  method  is  considered  in  Paris  better  than  the  London 
one,  as  the  engines  are  turned,  and  a transfer  of  them  from 
train  to  train  is  made  unnecessary.  Some  idea  may  be 
formed  of  the  magnitude  of  the  work  performed  at  St.  Lazare 
from  the  statement  that  there  are  regularly  employed  there, 
for  strictly  station  purposes,  700  persons,  who  are  each  paid, 
on  the  average,  from  $250  to  $300  per  annum.  On  holidays 
and  other  special  occasions  the  number  is  increased  to 
about  1,100.  This  does  not  include  freight-work,  except 
what  is  called  express  freight;  that  is,  that  which  goes  with 
passenger  trains.  At  St.  Lazare,  as  with  other  great  rail- 
road stations  in  Europe,  a large  use  is  made  of  hydraulic 
power  for  passenger  and  freight  purposes.  Where  the  sta- 
tions proper,  as  is  often  the  case,  are  above  the  grade  of  the 
street,  hydraulic  elevators  are  used  to  take  the  trunks  of  the 
passengers  up  and  down,  as  these  are  ordinarily  received  and 
delivered  in  rooms  on  the  street  grade.  With  freight,  two 
floors  of  a freight  station  are  often  utilized.  The  freight-cars 
are  hoisted  by  hydraulic  power  to  the  second  floor,  and  by 
means  of  turn-tables  and  winches  worked  by  hydraulic  force 
are  easily  carried  to  any  point  that  may  be  desired,  while 
cranes  furnished  with  the  same  power  quickly  transfer  the 
contents  of  the  cars  to  the  teams,  or  that  of  the  teams  to  the 
cars.  In  a word,  a use  of  mechanical  power  is  made  in  these 
matters,  which  is  to  a great  degree  without  its  parallel  in  this 
country. 

In  the  storage  and  repair  of  locomotives  it  has  been  found 


99 


that  the  old-fashioned  " roundhouse  ” is  uneconomical,  because 
it  occupies  too  much  ground  for  the  accommodation  it  gives. 
The  new  engine-houses  are,  therefore,  made  rectangular, 
with  lines  of  parallel  track,  and  with  small  turn-tal)les  and 
shifting-platforms,  worked  by  hydraulic  power,  wherever 
these  are  thought  necessary. 

As  will  be  seen  from  what  has  been  said,  the  railroad  com- 
panies which  carry  on  a large  suburban  business  believe  that 
they  are  amply  justified  in  freely  spending  their  money  to 
develop  it.  The  principle  laid  down  b}^  the  best  European 
railroad  authorities  is,  that  a railroad  company  should  seek 
to  devote  such  money  as  it  has  at  its  disposal  to  what  may 
be  called  responsive  business ; that  is,  business  of  a class 
where  expenditures  in  the  way  of  improved  facilities  will 
lead  to  almost  immediate  increased  patronage.  The  experi- 
ence of  these  roads  is  that  their  suburban  traffic  fulfils  this 
requirement  more  nearly  than  any  other  class  of  their  busi- 
ness ; hence  those  which  are  the  most  successful  are  the  most 
liberal  and  progressive  in  the  administrative  policy  they  have 
adopted. 

EATES  OF  FARE. 

The  railroad  systems  of  Europe  were,  perhaps,  never  so 
greatly  and  immediately  influenced  by  any  action  as  by  that 
taken  by  M.  Baross,  the  Hungarian  minister  of  commerce,  in 
estal)lishing  the  so-called  "zone”  method  of  fares.  The 
result  in  his  case,  as  is  well  known,  has  been  a wonderful 
success.  The  railroad  patronage  of  the  kingdom  of  Hungary 
has  increased  in  two  years  from  the  rate  of  about  4,000,000 
to  the  rate  of  nearly  2(), 000, 000  persons  per  annum.  The 
receipts  have,  of  course,  increased,  but  nowhere  near  in  the 
proportion  as  that  of  the  passengers.  This  result  has  natu- 
rally attracted  a wide  attention,  and  wherever  the  I'ailways 
are  under  government,  or  semi-government,  control,  a simi- 
lar movement  for  a revision  of  fares  has  been  begun. 

In  Austria  it  has  been  in  part  carried  out,  and  in  a few 


100 


months  more  the  new  minister  of  railways  of  Germany  will 
probably  report  a plan  of  fares  for  the  railways  of  that  em- 
pire, based  on  the  general  principles  of  the  zone  method. 
At  least,  the  statistics  needed  to  enable  him  to  arrange  such 
a plan  are  now  in  course  of  preparation.  For  the  suburban 
service  of  Berlin  the  theory  has  already  been  accepted,  and 
it  is  only  a question  of  how  far  to  extend  the  opportunities 
for  travel  afforded  by  the  present  rates  of  fare  for  short  dis- 
tances. In  Paris  the  question  of  rates  of  fare  is  complicated 
by  a tax  imposed  by  the  government,  and  the  companies  are 
desirous  of  having  this  modified  or  removed  before  moving 
in  the  direction  of  lower  rates. 

M.  Baross  said  that  he  wished  to  do  away  with  a misap- 
prehension to  which  the  term  "zone”  had  given  rise.  The 
fares  were  graded,  not  by  districts,  but  by  distances.  In 
his  plan  any  station  was  the  centre  of  the  system.  He  wished 
to  sell  tickets  from  any  station  in  the  kingdom  for  ten,  twenty, 
thirty,  or  more  miles  of  continuous  travel  at  the.  same  prices 
as  tickets  for  similar  units  of  distance  were  sold  for  else- 
Avhere.  At  the  present  time,  for  financial  reasons,  the  system 
centres  at  Buda-Pesth,  and  on  this  account  one  travelling 
from  the  eastern  to  the  western  end  of  the  kingdom  is  com- 
pelled to  buy  a ticket  to  Buda-Pesth,  and  from  that  city  on- 
ward. But  this  qualification  is  made  because  it  was  thought 
too  much  of  a risk  to  apply  the  scheme  at  first  in  its  entirety  ; 
for,  as  all  travelling  beyond  a distance  of,  say,  140  miles  is 
free  travelling,  it  was  feared  that,  for  a time,  the  revenue 
derived  from  the  roads  would  be  reduced  to  an  inconven- 
iently low  point : that  is,  that  with  such  an  inducement  long- 
distance travel  would  increase  at  a more  rapid  rate  than 
short-distance  travel.  By  the  break  in  the  system  estab- 
lished temporarily  at  Buda-Pesth,  an  opportunity  is  afforded 
for  the  business  to  adjust  itself  to  its  new  conditions.  One 
of  the  objects  of  the  method  is  to  stimulate  the  desire  of  the 
workers  in  the  cities  to  live  in  the  country  districts,  by 
establishing  between  the  two  points  cheap  and  easy  means  of 


101 


transportation.  There  is  to  be  said  in  relation  to  an  appli- 
cation elsewhere  of  the  method  used  at  Buda-Pesth  that  it  is 
there  an  effort  to  create  a now  almost  non-existent  condition 
of  affairs.  It  is  a city  with  about  the  same  population  as 
Boston,  but  with  practically  no  settled  suburbs.  The  rail- 
ways of  the  entire  kingdom  of  Hungary  are  now  carrying  in 
a year  about  20,000,000  passengers,  or  about  half  as  many 
as  now  in  a year  come  into  and  go  out  of  Boston  by  our 
steam-railways.  On  the  other  hand,  the  two  great  railway 
stations  at  Buda-Pesth  are,  either  of  them,  apparently, 
larger  and  better  adapted  to  meet  the  demands  of  a great 
passenger  business  than  any  two  stations  combined  that  we 
have  in  Boston.  They  have  facilities  in  excess  of  demands  ; 
we  have  demands  up  to,  if  not  in  excess  of,  facilities.  M. 
Baross  said,  when  this  difference  was  referred  to,  that  he 
did  not  assume  that  his  plan  was  applicable  to  all  conditions  ; 
on  the  contrary,  it  would  be  necessary  to  materially  modify 
it  whenever  an  attempt  was  made  to  introduce  it  elsewhere. 
It  was  his  opinion,  however,  that  it  would  be  practically  im- 
possible to  apply  it  in  any  country  where  the  railroads  were 
not  under  government  control.  This  opinion  was  due  to  the 
experience  he  had  had  in  dealing  with  the  Hungarian  railroad 
companies  not  under  government  control.  His  plan  was 
vigorously  condemned  in  advance  by  all  of  the  practical  rail- 
road men  to  whom  he  submitted  it,  and  no  amount  of  per- 
suasion on  his  part  could  have  induced  them  to  accept. 
Those  who  are  now  in  some  mild  measure  copying  it  have 
been  forced  so  to  do  solely  by  the  results  of  its  application 
for  the  last  two  years. 

It  can  be  said  that  the  supporters  in  Europe  of  the  " zone  ” 
system  of  fares,  when  applied  to  suburban  districts,  point 
out  that  there  is  no  better  investment  that  a railroad  com- 
pany can  make  than  to  build  up  a suburban  population  on  its 
line  from  five  to  twenty  miles  out  from  its  metropolitan 
terminus.  These  are  ordinarily  dependent  on  the  city,  they 
are  too  far  out  to  be  easily  taken  by  tram-cars  of  any  kind. 


102 


and  within  this  short  range  the  value  of  land  is  so  high  that 
the  building  of  competing  steam  lines  is  almost  impossible. 
Thus  each  new  settler  gives  to  the  railroad  company  the 
promise  of  a constant  and  possibly  increasing  income.  The 
present  policy  of  most  of  the  European  railway  companies 
is  to  give  special  encouragement  to  this  form  of  business. 
This  is  shown  by  the  tendency  to  increase  the  number  of 
trains,  to  systematically  reduce  the  rates  of  fare,  to  make 
special  inducements  in  the  way  of  commutation  tickets,  and 
to  freely  spend  money  in  enlarging  terminal  facilities.  As 
to  commutation  tickets,  it  may  be  pointed  out  that,  while  in 
this  country  the  disposition  exists  to  surround  these  with  all 
manner  of  qualifications,  in  Europe  there  is  an  obvious  dis- 
])osition  to  favor  the  holder  of  one  in  every  way.  He  may 
ride  as  frequently  as  he  pleases  during  the  period  the  ticket 
is  in  force,  and  opportunities  are  freely  afforded  him  to 
extend  it  without  charge,  if  for  any  reason  he  cannot  use  it 
during  the  specified  time.  As  to  the  construction  of  new 
or  the  enlargement  of  old  terminal  stations,  changes  which 
in  almost  every  instance  are  caused,  not  by  the  pressure  of 
long,  but  of  short  distance,  travel,  these  are  held  to  be  both 
imperative  and  useful  investments,  on  the  ground  that  a 
great  increase  of  this  class  of  business  is  one  of  the  best 
guarantees  of  the  future  welfare  of  the  corporation;  while, 
unless  a company  proposes  to  have  its  business  remain  stag- 
nant, it  must  provide  adequate  means  of  taking  care  of  it. 

STREET  IMPROVEMENT. 

In  those  cities  of  Europe  which  have  grown  to  large 
dimensions,  and  which  were  originally  laid  out  with  narrow 
streets,  it  has  been  found  necessary,  in  order  to  meet  the 
demands  of  modern  trade  and  transit,  to  make  very  exten- 
sive changes  in  the  way  of  building  new  and  of  widening  old 
streets.  The  conditions  originally  presented  in  Boston  were 
not  materially  different  from  those  wdiich  obtained  in  Paris 
and  London.  In  each  case  the  problem  of  narrow,  crooked 


103 


streets,  ansuited  to  the  new  demtinds,  prevailed,  and  the 
people  of  each  city  have  been  forced  to  make  improvements. 

1 have  had  prepared  a map  of  London,  showing  the  changes 
in  the  way  of  street  extensions  and  of  street  improvements 
that  have  been  made  in  the  last  twenty-five  years.  It  seems 
to  me  that  this  furnishes  an  object-lesson  which  can  hardly 
fail  to  be  of  value  to  the  people  of  Boston. 

If  it  were  thought  desirable,  a similar  map  of  Paris  could 
be  prepared,  which  would  show  that  the  changes  made  in  that 
city,  since  1850  (which  include  those  carried  out  under  the 
direction  of  Baron  Haussrnan),  were  much  more  extensive 
and  radical  than  those  made  in  London.  In  both  cities  the 
need  of  havino^  ^reat  thorouofhfares  for  travel,  runniim 
through  the  business  centre,  has  been  recognized  and  com- 
plied with.  While,  as  has  been  pointed  out,  these  have  not 
given  the  rapid  transit  that  the  people  of  the  two  cities  have 
desired,  they  have  facilitated  local  movement  to  an  immense 
degree.  It  is  impossible  to  overestimate  the  intensity  of  the 
congestions  in  travel  that  would  daily  occur  in  Paris  if  the 
avenues  and  boulevards  of  relatively  recent  creation  did  not 
exist,  or  in  London  if  that  city  did  not  have  the  Thames 
embankment.  Queen  Victoria  street,  Holborn  viaduct,  and 
other  equally  important  thoroughfares  made  during  the  last 
quarter  of  a century. 

The  question  may  fairly  be  asked  if  it  would  not  l)e  desir- 
able for  the  city  of  Boston  to  enter  upon  some  work  of  this 
kind,  if  it  could  be  carried  on  in  as  favorable  a manner  and 
with  as  favorable  results  as  those  just  referred  to.  Conges- 
tion of  travel  in  a city  is  almost  as  unfortunate  in  its  effects 
as  the  congestion  of  blood  in  the  human  system.  The  veins 
and  arteries  of  the  cities  must  permit  of  a free  movement,  if 
healthy  development  is  to  take  place. 

The  difficulty  in  the  way  of  entering  upon  undertakings  of 
this  kind  in  Boston  is  the  great  expense  which  has  hitherto 
attended  such  enterprises.  I have  received,  from  well-in- 
formed persons,  the  statement  that  a number  of  the  most 


104 


important  street  improvements  made  in  London  and  Paris 
were  carried  through  with  practically  no  final  expense  to  the 
city,  and  for  this  reason  I have  brought  back  one  of  the 
Parliamentary  statutes  authorizing  the  laying  out  of  new 
streets.  From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Board  to  whom 
the  work  has  been  delegated  has  had  complete  power  to  take 
such  land  and  buildings  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  pro- 
posed street  as  it  might  consider  necessary  for  its  purpose, 
and,  when  the  street  improvements  have  been  completed,  has 
had  the  power  to  sell  or  lease  these  seized  estates  in  such 
manner  as  seemed  to  it  best  fitted  to  promote  the  public 
interests.  By  means  of  these  temporary  leases  and  final 
sales  of  improved  property,  enough  money  has  in  some 
instances  been  obtained  to  more  than  pay  for  the  street 
extension.  If,  by  the  adoption  of  a like  method,  substan- 
tially similar  results  could  be  obtained  in  Boston,  it  might 
be  well  to  seriously  consider  whether  it  would  not  be 
advisable  to  cut  through  the  city  one  or  two  broad  avenues 
for  travel. 


OSBORNE  HOWES,  Jr. 


APPENDIX. 


BETWEEN  THE  MUNICIPALITY  OF  BERLIN  AND  THE 
GREAT  BERLIN  HORSE-RAILWAY  STOCK  COMPANY 
OF  THIS  CITY,  THE  FOLLOWING  AGREEMENT  HAS 
BEEN  MADE. 


Section  1. 

The  company  agrees  : — 

In  consideration  of  the  privilege  of  using  the  streets,  squares, 
and  highways  of  the  city  for  the  operation  of  street-railwaj’s,  as 
follows : — 

(a)  For  all  lines  already  built  by  the  compau}" ; 

(5)  For  lines  of  which  it  holds  a franchise,  or  may  be  accorded  a 
franchise,  while  this  contract  is  in  force  ; 

(c)  For  all  lines  which  it  undertakes  to  operate  for  another  com- 
pany or  person,  in  any  form,  be  it  on  its  own  account  or  that 
of  others,  particularly  the  line  from  the  Potsdam  Gate  to 
Schoeneberg,  of  which  the  Great  International  Horse-Railway 
Company  holds  the  franchise,  but  the  operation  of  which  is 
accorded  the  Great  Berlin  Horse-Railway’  Company  ; 

— to  pay  the  city  of  Berlin  an  indemnity  consisting  of  a tax  upon 
the  gross  income  from  the  transportation  of  passengers  an<l 
freight  (inclusive  of  season  tickets),  to  be  paid  annually  during 
the  life  of  the  franchise  as  established  by  this  agreement.  If  no 
transportation  of  freight  occurs,  the  tax  is  to  be  levied  upon  the 
gross  income  from  the  transportation  of  passengers,  inclusive  of 
season  tickets. 


Section  2. 

This  tax  will  be  : — 

(а)  With  an  annual  gross  income  up  to  6 million  marks,  4 per  cen^ 

(б)  With  an  annual  gross  income  of  from  G to  7 million  marks, 

per  cent. 


106 


(c)  With  an  annual  gross  income  of  from  7 to  8 million  mnrks, 
0 per  cent. 

(cl)  With  an  annual  gross  income  of  from  8 to  9 million  marks, 
per  cent. 

(e)  With  an  annual  gross  income  of  from  9 to  10  million  marks, 

6 per  cent. 

(/)  With  an  annual  gross  income  of  from  10  to  11  million  marks, 
6J  per  cent. 

(^7)  With  an  annual  gross  income  of  from  11  to  12  million  marks, 

7 per  cent. 

(h)  With  an  annual  gross  income  of  from  12  to  13  million  marks, 
7^  per  cent. 

(i)  With  an  annual  gross  income  of  from  13  to  14  million  marks, 
7J  per  cent. 

[k)  With  an  annual  gross  income  of  from  14  to  15  million  marks, 
7J  per  cent. 

(0  With  an  annual  gross  income  of  from  15  to  16  million  marks, 
or  more,  8 per  cent. 


Section  3. 

A part  of  the  tax  is  to  be  paid  on  account  to  the  Central  City 
Treasury  during  the  course  of  the  calendar  year,  coinciding  with 
the  fiscal  year,  namel}',  on  July  1,  and  to  the  amount  of  one-half 
of  the  tax  paid  for  the  preceding  year.  The  payment  of  the 
remainder  is  to  be  made  to  the  same  treasury  on  February  1 of  the 
year  following  the  fiscal  year,  and  is  based  upon  a certificate  from 
the  auditing  committee  of  the  company,  to  be  furnished  the  magis- 
trate, in  which  the  amount  of  gross  income  from  the  transporta- 
tion of  passengers  and  freight  (inclusive  of  season  tickets),  for 
the  past  fiscal  year,  is  certified  from  the  audited  books  of  the  com- 
pany. 

To  the  magistrate  is  conceded  the  right  of  requiring  the  services 
of  a judicially  sworn  auditor,  to  be  named  by  him,  in  the  auditing 
of  said  income. 

The  first  payment  takes  place  July  1,  1880,  for  the  time  follow- 
ing Jan.  1,  1880.  The  computation  of  the  tax  for  these  six 
months  is  to  be  based  upon  the  gross  income  from  the  transporta- 
tion of  passengers  and  freight  (inclusive  of  season  tickets),  as 
stated  in  the  published  statement  for  1879. 


107 


Section  4. 

In  case  the  company  credibly  shows  the  magistrate  that  the 
aggregate  trade-income  for  a period  of  three  consecutive  years 
has  been  so  meagre  that,  according  to  commercial  principles,  only 
a dividend  below  6 per  cent,  could  be  declared  for  these  three 
years  to  the  stockholders,  then  a proportional  diminution  of  the 
tax  percentage  is  placed  in  prospect. 

Until  this  diminution  has  been  agreed  upon,  the  payment  of  the 
tax  must  continue  according  to  this  agreement. 

Section  5. 

If  a general  taxation  of  transportation  companies  and  owners 
of  horses  and  carriages,  based  upon  the  number  of  horses  owned, 
should  be  introduced  in  Berlin,  then  the  amount  of  such  taxes 
appertaining  to  this  company  will  be  credited  to  the  taxes  herein- 
before specified. 

Section  6. 

In  consideration  of  remission  of  the  obligation  to  repave  the 
road-bed  with  better  material  and  new  subsoil  during  the  life 
of  the  franchise,  the  company  obligates  itself  to  pay  for  the  horse- 
railway lines  completed  up  to  the  end  of  1879,  in  addition  an 
annuity  of  165,000  marks  as  acquittance-sum  to  the  municipality, 
payment  to  be  made  July  1 of  each  year,  and  January  1 of  each 
succeeding  calendar  year,  to  the  Central  City  Treasury. 

The  first  payment  is  to  be  made  July  1,  1880,  for  the  time  from 
January  1,  1880. 

Expenses  incurred  for  changing  and  repairing  the  tracks  and 
their  supports  or  stringers,  in  consequence  of  these  repavings,  are 
borne  by  the  company. 

Section  7. 

The  company  is  under  obligation  to  keep  the  pavements  and 
their  beds  between  the  rails,  as  well  as  for  a width  of  0.65  and 
0.70  metres  each  side  of  them,  in  good  condition,  pending  the 
duration  of  this  franchise,  and  to  guarantee  them  in  such  condi- 
tion on  its  expiration  ; tliis  to  appl}^  to  pavements  already  laid  or 
delivered  at  the  laying  out  of  the  road,  as  well  as  such  as  are 
newly  laid  thereafter. 


108 


The  right  is  reserved  to  conclude  a special  agreement  as  to 
whether,  to  what  extent,  and  for  what  compensation  this  duty 
devolving  on  the  company  of  maintaining  pavements,  cleaning 
and  sprinkling  the  road-bed,  etc.,  might  be  assumed  by  the  munici- 
pality for  the  sake  of  uniformity  of  administration. 

Section  8. 

' When  locations  for  new  lines  are  granted,  the  conditions  regard- 
ing tlie  repair  or  renewal  of  pavements  are  to  be  specially  estab- 
lished. 

Regarding  the  locations  already  granted,  but  not  utilized  by 
end  of  1879, that  is  — 

(u)  From  Kronen  street  to  Hausvogtei  square; 

(6)  From  Schoenhauser  Gate  to  Hacke’schen  Market  Place; 

(c)  From  Coellnischen  Fish  Market  to  the  corner  of  Behren  and 

William  streets  ; 

— the  obligations  regarding  repair  and  renewal  of  road-bed  pave- 
ment in  the  respective  grants  and  franchises  hold,  good  in  this 
measure,  that  for  the  line  h the  same  obligations  shall  be  valid  as 
are  imposed  upon  the  company  for  the  lines  a and  c. 

Section  9. 

Reserving  the  right  to  specif}-  the  trace  of  locations  and  special 
conditions,  the  following  new  grants  are  made  the  company,  in 
the  interest  of  immediate  construction  : — 

1.  The  line  from  the  Potsdam  Gate  through  Leipzig  street  to 
Spittel  Market  (off  Seydel  street)  with  obviation  of  St.  Gertraudt’s 
church,  it  being  expressly  understood,  however,  that  the  company 
obtain  from  the  Great  International  Horse- Railway  Company  a 
quitclaim  to  all  present  or  prospective  franchise  for  this  route ; 

2.  The  connection  between  the  terminal  points  of  the  horse- 
railway at  Weidenhammer  bridge  on  one  hand,  and  at  the  corner 
of  Friedrich  and  Behren  streets  on  the  other  hand,  and  crossing 
the  street  “ Unter  den  Linden  ; ” 

3.  The  continuation  of  the  horse-railway  from  Moubijou  square 
to  the  Berlin  City  Hall ; and 

4.  From  here  the  connection,  i.e.,  the  continuation  towards  the 
east  of  the  city  and  Koepnicker  street ; 


109 


5.  The  extension  of  the  line  in  Muller  street  from  the  bound- 
ary of  the  city  proper  to  Dulldorf,  that  is,  to  the  municipal  insane 
retreat  there ; 

6.  The  extension  of  the  line  from  the  Gesundbrunnen  to  Rosen- 
thal Gate  from  the  latter  to  Hacke’schen  Market  Place. 

The  company  engages  itself  to  begin  work  upon  the  lines  men- 
tioned in  Section  8 against  a,  6,  and  c,  and  those  specified  above 
(in  Section  9)  against  1 to  6,  immediately  upon  permission  from 
the  police  authorities,  for  which  it  is  to  appi}^  at  once,  and  equip 
and  put  into  operation  these  lines  without  delay.  On  the  other 
hand  the  assurance  is  made  the  compao}’  that  the  right  to  con- 
struct and  operate  horse-railway  lines  in  Ritter  street,  in  the  street 
“Unter  den  Linden,”  in  the  projected  Kaiser-Wilhelms  street,  in 
Friedrich  street,  and  in  Louisen  street  will  be  granted  by  the  city 
to  another  contractor  only  after  the  company,  upon  precedent  en- 
quiry by  the  magistrate,  has  failed  to  declare  within  a period  of 
four  weeks  that  it  is  willing  to  build  and  operate  these  lines  ac- 
cording to  the  terms  of  the  prospective  grant. 


Section  10. 

The  company  is  released  from  the  construction  of  the  loop- 
routes  — 

1.  Between  the  Gesundbrunnen  and  Pankow; 

2.  From  Bneschings  square  to  the  square  at  the  corner  of 
Weber  and  Great  Frankfurter  streets; 

3.  Between  Treptow  and  Rixdorf  ; 

4.  From  Tempelhof  over  Lichterfelde  and  Steglitz  to  Schoene- 
bcrg. 

Section  11. 

The  duration  of  the  franchise  for  all  lines  now  ready  for  traffic 
is  established  at  thirty  years,  from  Jan.  1,  1880,  to  Dec.  31, 
1909. 

All  the  other  lines  made  ready  for  operation  within  five  years, 
dating  from  Jan.  1,  1880,  are  subject  to  the  same  definition  re- 
garding the  terminal  point  of  the  franchise  granted  or  to  be  granted 
them. 

Regarding  the  lines  made  ready  for  travel  later  than  that,  the 
right  of  agreement  is  reserved. 


no 


Section  12. 

The  Great  Berlin  Horse-Railway  Stock  Company  furthermore 
agrees  to  abide  by  the  general  conditions  for  the  establishment  of 
street-railways  as  attached  to  this  agreement  and  subscribed  by 
the  company,  in  such  degree  as  said  conditions  are  not  modified 
by  this  agreement. 

Section  13. 

The  bond  required  from  the  company  is  increased  from  61,500 
marks  to  100,000  marks,  and  will  be  held  for  the  fulfilment  of  all 
obligations  resting  upon  the  company. 

Section  14. 

Without  detriment  to  any  other  rights  of  the  city  in  case  of  any 
violation  of  the  obligations  which  rest  upon  the  company,  the 
municipality  has  the  right,  in  case  the  payment  of  the  tax  from 
the  gross  income  stipulated  in  Sections  1-8,  or  of  the  rental  for 
})averaents  according  to  Section  6,  is  not  made  within  six  months 
after  it  is  due,  to  cancel  alt  agreements  made  with  the  company, 
and  the  franchises  granted  it. 


Section  15. 

All  conditions  of  contracts  concluded  between  the  ciW  of  Berlin 
and  the  Great  Berlin  Horse-Railway  Stock  Company  now  existing, 
and  of  franchise  granted  by  the  frscus^  as  far  as  the  rights  and 
duties  of  the  same  have  been  conveyed  to  the  city ; and  all  fran- 
chises granted  by  the  city,  which  conflict  wdth  the  conditions 
established  hereinbefore,  are  hereby  repealed. 

Berlin,  July  26,  1880. 

Magisteature  of  the  Royal  Capital  and  Residence  City 

Here. 

Signed. 

DUNCKER, 

Dr.  WEBER, 
MEUBRINK. 

Berlin,  August  18,  1880. 
Great  Berlin  Horse-Railway  Stock  Company. 

Signed. 

DITTMANN, 

FISCHER-DICK. 


Ill 


ADDENDUM 

To  the  agreement  between  the  municipality  of  Berlin  and  the 
Great  Berlin  Horse-Railway  Stock  Company,  containing  the 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS 
for  the  establishment  of  street-railway  plants  in  Berlin. 

Alterations  in  Existing  Plants. 

Section  1. 

All  widening  or  altering  of  streets  or  bridges ; all  altering  or 
transposing  of  telegraph,  pneumatic  mail,  water-pipe,  drainage, 
and  lighting  plants ; of  fountains,  pumps,  sanitaries,  landscape 
gardening,  or  other  public  plants  necessitated  by  the  laying  out  of 
the  railway  plant,  — are  to  be  made  according  to  the  requirements 
of  the  municipal  authorities  in  charge,  at  the  expense  of  the  con- 
tracting part}’. 


Section  2, 

Neither  by  the  section  of  the  rails,  nor  the  construction  of  the 
tracks,  nor  the  laying  out  of  the  road  generally,  may  the  travel 
of  other  vehicles  over  the  road  be  made  more  difficult  in  any 
way.  Rail  sections  and  track  construction  that  do  not  conform 
to  these  conditions  must,  upon  demand  of  the  magistrature,  be 
replaced  by  other  more  suitable  ones,  without  compensation. 


Paving  of  the  Railway. 

Section  3, 

The  railway,  that  is,  that  portion  of  streets  or  bridges  which  is 
included  between  the  rails  and  in  a width  of  0.65  or  respectively 
0.70  metres  each  side  of  them,  is  to  be  paved  at  the  expense  of 
the  contracting  party,  and  in  a manner  to  be  plainly  discernible 
from  the  rest  of  the  paving,  with  avoidance  of  the  hitherto  usual 
stretching-courses. 

The  various  street-routes  must  be  paved,  respectively  secured 


112 


in  their  entire  width  with  the  same  kind  of  pavement-bed,  with 
material  of  uniform  hardness  and  durability,  and  worked  in  a 
uniform  manner.  The  contracting  part}’  is  therefore  under  obli- 
gation to  construct  the  pavement-bed  required  for  the  paving  of 
the  railroad  in  such  manner  and  of  such  materials,  and  to  obtain 
the  required  paving  stones  from  such  quarries,  and  have  the 
same  worked  in  such  a manner,  as  shall  be  prescribed  b}’  the 
municipality  for  the  purpose. 

To  the  same  extent  the  contracting  party  is  under  obligation  to 
maintain  the  pavement-bed  and  paving  of  the  railroad  as  long  as 
the  franchise  is  in  force. 

To  maintenance  belongs  also  the  renewal  of  pavement-bed,  if 
according  to  the  views  of  the  municipal  building-commission  mere 
repairs  are  insufficient. 

If,  when  such  renewals  of  paving  or  pavement-bed  are  required, 
one  or  the  other  of  the  streets  or  portions  of  streets  utilized  by  the 
road  should  be  paved  or  secured  with  a different  kind  of  pavement- 
bed,  or  a different  kind  of  stone,  or  with  asphalt,  wood,  or  other 
paving,  then  the  contracting  party  is  under  obligation  to  pave, 
respectively  secure,  the  railroad  in  similar  manner  and  at  his 
expense. 

In  place  of  the  last-mentioned  obligation,  and  for  the  horse-rail- 
wa}^  lines  constructed  up  to  end  of  1879  as  per  Section  6 of  the 
agreement  between  the  municipality  of  Berlin  and  the  Great  Berlin 
Horse-Railway  Stock  Company  of  present  date,  is  substituted  the 
indemnity  of  165,000  marks,  to  be  paid  annually  by  the  company 
to  the  Central  City  Treasury. 

^ Section  4. 

With  the  renewals  of  pavement  and  paving-bed  in  streets  or 
portions  of  streets  already  utilized  by  the  road,  as  prescribed  in 
Section  3,  the  contracting  party  is  held,  on  demand  of  the 
magistrature,  to  replace  the  rails  and  track  construction  existing 
in  such  streets,  with  others  that  permit  a secure  and  durable  con- 
nection with  the  projected  pavement.  The  sectional  profiles  and 
methods  of  construction  of  rails  and  tracks  selected  for  this  pur- 
pose are  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  magistrature. 


113 


Obligation  to  Deliver  the  Old  Paving  Materials  to  the 

Municipality. 

Section  5. 

As  far  as  the  contracting  party  has  to  pave  the  streets  with  new 
materials,  the  paving  stones  and  paving  materials  already  on  hand 
in  these  stretches,  so  far  as  they  belong  to  the  municipality,  are  to 
be  delivered  to  the  same  and  transported  at  the  expense  of  the 
contracting  party  to  such  localities  as  may  be  designated. 

Materials  from  Private  Property  to  be  Delivered  to  the 

Owners. 

Section  6. 

If,  in  consequence  of  new  regulations  concerning  the  repartition 
of  streets,  paving  and  other  materials  are  taken  up  that  do  not  be- 
long to  the  municipality,  then  said  materials  must  be  delivered  to 
the  respective  owners. 

Stations  and  Waiting-Eooms. 

Section  7. 

The  contracting  party  is  held  to  build  at  his  own  expense  such 
stations,  transfer  and  waiting  rooms,  as  are  deemed  necessaiy  by 
the  magistrature,  or  to  establish  them  in  adjoining  houses. 

Roadway  and  Pavement  to  be  Maintained,  Cleaned, 
Sprinkled,  and  Lighted. 

Section  8. 

As  long  as  the  franchise  is  in  force,  the  contracting  party  is  re- 
quired, at  his  own  expense,  to  keep  in  good  condition,  as  directed, 
not  only  the  roadway  and  all  devices  for  its  drainage  and  other 
auxiliaries,  but  also  all  bridging  where  the  gutters  had  to  be 
bridged  over  during  or  in  consequence  of  the  construction  of  the 
road,  to  clean  them  according  to  municipal  regulations,  and  to 
sprinkle  them  whenever  asked  to  do  so.  The  contracting  party  is 
also  held  to  remove  at  his  expense  all  garbage,  mud,  and  snow 
swept  from  the  roadway  and  all  ice  removed  therefrom. 

The  municipality,  however,  reserves  the  right,  if  any  delay  in 
complying  with  the  preceding  requirements  is  attended  with  danger. 


114 


or  an  agreement  has  been  reached  regarding  their  fulfilment,  to 
have  the  work  done  by  its  own  emploj'ees,  and  the  expense  of  such 
work  is  to  be  made  good  to  the  municipality  at  once  and  in  full 
by  the  contracting  part}^ 

Subterranean  Drainage  Works,  Bordering  and  Curb  Stones, 
BECOME  Property  of  the  Municipality. 

Section  9. 

The  subterranean  drainage  plants  required  for  the  drainage  of 
the  streets  or  adjoining  properties,  as  well  as  all  gutters,  border 
and  curb  stones,  constructed  at  the  expense  of  the  contracting 
party,  go  into  possession  of  the  municipality  on  the  day  of  con- 
veyance. 

Regarding  Alteration  on  and  about  Streets. 

Section  10. 

In  case  alterations  become  necessary  upon  the  streets  or  roads 
touched  by  the  railway,  which  alterations  would  necessitate  changes 
in  the  road-bed  or  temporary  removal  of  the  rails,  the  contracting 
party  can  claim  no  indemnity,  and  must  have  the  changes,  trans- 
posals,  or  removals  required  b}^  the  city  authorities  or  the  magis- 
trature  made  at  his  own  expense. 

Renewal  of  Streets,  etc.,  if  the  Railway  is  Discontinued 

OR  Removed. 

Section  11. 

If  the  railway  plant  is  discontinued,  or  must  be  changed,  trans- 
posed, or  removed,  then  the  contracting  party  is  held,  without  in- 
demnity and  within  a prescribed  time  and  at  his  expense,  to  have 
the  changes,  trausposals,  or  removal  of  the  tracks  made,  and  to 
renew  the  streets,  gutters,  bridges,  and  other  displaced  features 
according  to  the  directions  of  the  municipal  board  of  construction. 

Interruption  of  Operation  not  Allowed. 

Section  12. 

The  contracting  party  is  held  to  keep  the  road  in  orderly  opera- 
tion during  the  life  of  the  franchise,  and  may  not  interrupt  the 
same  without  special  permission  from  the  proper  authorities. 


115 


Stopping  of  Operation. 

Section  13. 

Should  the  contracting  party  stop  the  orderly  running  of  the 
road  without  particular  permission,  the  magistrate  has  the  right  to 
rent  the  road  to  other  persons,  and  if  he  should  not  succeed  in 
this,  to  remove  the  road,  sell  the  material,  and  have  the  streets  and 
other  places  renewed  and  repaired  at  the  expense  of  the  contract- 
ing party. 

Interruption  of  Operation  on  Account  of  Public  Works. 

Section  14. 

For  detriment  to  the  use  and  operation  of  the  road  which  is 
caused  by  ordinances  or  operations  of  the  municipality  or  other 
authorities,  the  contracting  party  cannot  require  any  indemnity. 

Crossing  and  Joint  Use  of  Rails  for  the  Running  of  Other 

Roads. 

Section  15. 

If,  according  to  the  opinion  of  the  magistrature,  a crossing  or  a 
joint  use  of  short  distances  of  the  rails,  not  exceeding  400  metres 
in  round  numbers,  or  a connection  with  the  same  by  other  street- 
railways,  must  take  place,  tlien  the  party  undertaking  the  line 
mentioned  in  this  franchise  must  submit  thereto,  as  well  as  to 
possibly  necessary  alterations  in  the  track-plant,  without  any 
claims  on  the  municipality  whatever;  however,  the  obligation 
shall  be  imposed  upon  the  party  admitted  to  such  joint  use,  of 
compensating  the  party  undertaking  the  lines  approved  herewith 
for  one-half  of  the  expense  entailed  in  laying  out  the  distance 
thus  jointly  used.  Upon  which  of  the  two  roads  the  obligation  of 
bearing  the  expense  of  any  possible  alteration  and  maintenance  of 
the  jointl}'  used  plant  shall  devolve,  the  magistrate  will,  in  default 
of  amicable  agreement,  decide. 

Transportation  of  Street  Sweepings,  Rubbish,  etc. 

Section  16. 

The  party  of  the  second  part  is  held,  in  case  he  is  required  by 
the  magistrate,  to  transport  on  his  road  at  night  wagons  which 


116 


serve  for  the  removal  of  street  sweepings,  rubbish,  kitchen  offal, 
etc.,  exclusive  of  sewage,  for  a reasonable  compensation  to  be 
previously  determined. 

The  same  shall  hold  good  in  case  a system  of  transporting 
corpses  is  established. 


Tariff  and  Time-Table. 

Section  17. 

In  determining  the  tariff  and  time-table  for  the  various  routes, 
the  consent  of  the  magistrate  is  required.  On  Sundays  and  holi- 
days the  prices  ma}'  not  be  raised,  neither  may  any  other  condi- 
tions be  imposed  that  are  burdensome  to  passengers. 


Expiration  of  Franchise. 

Section  18. 

The  franchise  of  the  lines  specified  in  the  main  agreement  as  to 
be  newly  built  expires,  unless  work  on  the  construction  of  the  line 
in  question  is  begun  within  six  mouths  at  the  latest  after  the  police 
license  has  been  granted,  or  if  the  running  of  the  line  has  not 
begun  within  the  period  set  down  in  the  special  conditions. 

The  municipality  of  Berlin  is  released  from  all  obligations 
arising  from  a franchise  it  has  granted,  if  the  party  of  the  second 
part  does  not  succeed  in  obtaining,  within  three  years  after  the 
grant,  the  required  permits  from  the  trade  and  police  authorities.^ 


Conveyance  of  the  Same  to  Other  Persons. 

Section  19. 

AYithout  the  approval  of  the  municipal  authorities  the  contract- 
ing party  may  neither  relinquish  the  rights  granted  him  to  a third 
party,  nor  delegate  to  such  a party  their  execution,  nor  may  he 
acquire  the  rights  granted  the  projector  of  another  urban  horse- 
railway, nor  undertake  the  exercise  of  the  same.i 


1 See  changes  of  these  conditions  which  follow  the  supplementary  agreement  further  on. 


117 


Obligation  of  the  Contracting  Party  after  Expiration  of 
THE  Franchise. 

Section  20. 

After  the  franchises  have  expired  the  municipal  authorities  have 
the  right  either  to  take  over  the  railway,  or  to  require  of  the  party 
of  the  second  part  that  he,  upon  removal  of  the  road,  restore  the 
streets,  at  his  expense,  to  perfectly  good  condition,  according  to  the 
requirements  of  the  street  commissioners.  In  the  former  case,  the 
tracks,  together  with  the  pavement-bed  and  paving,  at  once  pass 
over  without  remuneration  into  the  absolute  possession  of  the 
municipality,  and  the  party  of  the  second  part  has  to  deliver  the 
road  with  its  transfer-stations  and  waiting-rooms  in  serviceable 
condition. 

The  entire  remaining  animate  and  inanimate  property  is  to  be 
relinquished  to  the  municipalit}',  in  case  it  wants  to  take  it,  after 
amicable  agreement,  or  for  a set  price.  If  such  price  cannot  be 
agreed  upon,  it  is  to  be  determined  b}’  referees.  One  of  the 
referees  is  named  b}"  the  magistrate,  the  other  by  the  party  of  the 
second  part. 

If  one  or  the  other  party  fails  to  proceed  to  the  naming  of  a 
'referee  within  four  weeks  after  having  been  called  upon  to  do  so  by 
the  other  party,  then  the  right  accrues  to  the  latter  to  name  also  the 
second  referee.  If  the  referees  cannot  agree,  tlie  decision  is  made 
with  the  assistance  of  an  arbitrator,  to  be  named  by  the  referees. 
The  arbitrator  is  named  by  the  magistrate  in  case  the  referees 
cannot  agree  upon  one  within  four  weeks. 


Furnishing  of  Security. 

Section  21. 

For  the  fulfilment  of  the  obligations  undertaken,  especially  for 
those  expenses  which  arise  when  the  contracting  party  fails  to 
perform  what  devolves  upon  him  and  the  magistrate  steps  into 
his  place,  the  following  stand  security  : — 

(a)  The  materials  furnished  by  the  contracting  party  in  the 
railway  plant ; 

{h)  The  bonds  already  furnished  by  the  contracting  party  and 
which  may  be  increased,  whether  alread}’  deposited,  or  still  to  be. 


118 


with  the  magistratnre,  and  consisting  of  government  or  other 
depositable  securities,  and  which,  as  soon  as  the}’  are  drawn  upon, 
must  always  be  made  good  to  the  original  amount,  and  must 
be  delivered  before  beginning  work  on  the  road,  within  four  weeks 
after  delivery  of  these  conditions,  under  penalty  of  forfeiting  the 
franchise. 


Forfeiture  of  Bonds. 

Section  22. 

If  by  fault  of  the  contracting  part}’  construction  has  not  been 
begun  or  the  road  not  put  into  operation  witliin  the  period  set  in 
the  special  conditions,  then  aforesaid  bonds,  as  far  as  they  are 
represented  by  materials,  are  forfeited  entirely,  and  as  far  as  they 
are  represented  by  money,  to  the  amount  of  one-fourth  of  the  sum 
deposited. 

In  cases  in  which  the  magistrate  is  entitled  to  have  recourse  to 
the  bonds,  this  happens  to  the  amount  of  the  sum  specified  by  him, 
by  non-judicial  conversion  into  money  of  a suitable  portion  of  the 
values  composing  the  bonds  at  the  stock  exchange  at  current 
rates.  To  the  party  of  the  second  part,  who  is  to  be  notified  when 
this  happens,  the  right  of  appealing  to  the  courts  is  reserved. 


Berlin,  July  26,  1880. 

Magistrature  of  the  Royal  Capital  and  Residence  City 

Here. 

Signed. 

DUNCKER, 

Dr.  IVEBER, 
MEUBRINK. 

Berlin,  Aug.  18,  1880. 

Great  Berlin  Horse-Railway  Stock  Company. 

Signed. 

DITTMANN, 

FISCHER-DICK. 


119 


SUPPLEMENTARY  AGREEMENT  TO  THE  AGREEMENT 
OF  THE  MUNICIPALITY  OF  BERLIN  WITH  THE 
GREAT  BERLIN  HORSE-RAILWAY  STOCK  COM- 
PANY OF  JULY  26-AUGUST  18,  1880. 

In  completion  of  the  agreement  concluded  July  26-August  18, 
1880,  between  the  municipality  of  Berlin  and  the  Great  Berlin 
Horse-Railway  Stock  Company,  especially  in  further  elucidation 
of  Section  8 of  the  same,  the  following  supplementary  contract  is 
subscribed  to,  the  subject  of  which  consists  in  the  permission 
granted  the  company,  in  consideration  of  its  paying  a stated 
amount  annually,  to  lay  down  and  maintain  horse-railway  tracks  in 
Berlin  and  its  immediate  vicinity,  and  the  right  to  operate  upon 
these  tracks  a horse-railway  enterprise. 


Section  1. 

With  the  proviso  which  appears  at  the  beginning  of  Section  9 of 

said  principal  agreement,  the  following  lines  are  newly  granted  the 

company  by  the  municipality  ; — 

(а)  From  the  corner  of  Prinzenallee  and  Badstrasse  through 
Pank,  Reinickendorfer,  Fenn,  Perleberger,  Birken,  Lessing,  and 
Altona  streets,  over  the  Great  Star  through  the  Hofjager-Allec, 
Friedrich  Wilhelm  street,  about  Liitzow  square,  through  Maassen 
street,  Biilow  street  through  the  railroad  viaduct,  through  York 
and  Gneisenau  streets,  along  the  Hasenhaide,  through  Fichte, 
Grimm,  Admiral,  and  Adalbert  streets,  along  the  Eugelufer  to 
the  Schillings  bridge  ; 

(б)  From  the  new  cemetery  of  the  Jewish  congregation  and 
Georgenkirchhof  in  Weissensee,  through  the  Prenzlauer  Allee, 
Danziger  street  and  Kastanien  Allee,  Invaliden  street,  Louisa 
street,  over  the  Marschall  bridge,  through  Dorothy  street  to  the 
City  Railway  Station,  Friedrichstrasse  ; 

(c)  From  Schlesischenstrasse  over  Lausitzer  square,  through  Wal- 
demar,  Bukower,  Dresdener,  and  Ross  streets  to  the  Kdllnischen 
Fish  Market ; 

(d)  From  Jannowitz  bridge  to  Alexander  square  ; 

(e)  From  the  Molkenmarkt  to  the  Spittelmarkt ; 


120 


(/)  From  Kleinen  Prasidenten  street  through  Burg  street,  over  the 
Friedrichs  bridge,  the  Lustgarten,  and  the  Schlossfreiheit  to  the 
Schlossplatz  ; 

{g)  I'rom  Behren  street  through  Markgrafen,  Ritter,  and  Reichen- 
berg  streets ; 

(/i)  From  the  Eastern  Railway  Station  through  the  Griinen  Weg, 
Blumen  street  to  Alexander  street,  and  prospectively,  after  the 
opening  of  the  newly  projected  street  between  Blumen  and 
Stralauer  streets,  to  the  latter; 

(i)  In  Friedrich  street  from  Koch  street  to  Behren  street; 

{k)  In  Jerusalem  street  from  Kronen  street  to  Krausen  street ; 

(l)  From  Hauswogteiplutz  through  Oberwall  and  Jager  streets  to 
the  Werderschen  Market; 

(m)  From  the  Schlossplatz  over  the  Lange  (respectively  Kur- 
fiirsten)  bridge,  through  Konig  street  to  Spandauer  street. 

With  all  these  lines  the  municipality  reserves  the  right  of  alter- 
ing their  traces,  but  to  the  extent  only  of  not  disturbing  the 
direction  of  the  lines  and  not  interfering  with  the  general  plan  of 
the  network  of  street-railroads  indicated  above. 


Section  2. 

The  line  at  m of  Section  1 , however,  is  granted  onlj"  in  case  the 
construction  of  the  projected  Kaiser  Wilhelm  bridge  between  the 
Friedrichs  and  Langen  (or  Kurfiirsten)  bridges  is  realized,  and 
the  line  at  e with  the  proviso  that  the  laying  out  of  the  railway  is 
permitted  by  all  the  authorities  concerned  without  the  widening  of 
Gertrandt  street  or  the  reconstruction  of  Gertrandt  bridge. 


Section  3. 

With  the  lines  specified  in  Section  1,  the  definitions  of  Section 
1 of  the  “ General  Conditions  ” of  the  main  agreement  find  applica- 
tion only  in  case  of  the  line  at  m (Schlossplatz  to  Spandauer 
street) . 

On  the  other  hand,  the  company  pays  the  Central  City  Treasury 
as  a single  contribution  for  the  following  lines  and  portions  of 
lines : — 


121 


(a)  Gesiindbruunen  to  the  northern  boundary  of  the  Thiergarten, 

30.000  marks  ; 

{b)  Southern  boundary  of  the  Thiergarten  to  Kurfiirsten  street, 

40.000  marks  ; 

(c)  Hasenhaide  to  Engelufer,  40,000  marks  ; 

(d)  Molkenmarkt  to  Spittelmarkt,  700,000  marks  ; 

(e)  Kollnischer  Fish  Market  to  Schlesische  street,  160,000  marks; 
(/)  Jannowitz  bridge  to  Alexander  square,  10,000  marks  ; 

{g)  Kleine  Priisideutenstrasse  to  Schlossplatz,  20,000  marks. 

Each  of  these  amounts  is  to  be  paid  independently  of  the  others 
as  soon  as  the  line  in  question  has  been  approved  definitely  by 
the  proper  authorities. 

Through  these  contributions  the  company  is  released  from  the 
obligation,  contained  in  Section  1 of  the  “ General  Conditions,” 
to  assume  all  widening  of  streets  and  widening  and  alterations 
of  bridges  necessitated  by  the  laying  out  the  road,  as  far  as  the 
lines  from  a to  6 in  Section  1 of  this  supplementary  agreement  are 
concerned  ; outside  of  this  the  rest  of  the  definitions  contained  in 
Section  1 of  the  ‘‘General  Conditions”  hold  good  for  these  lines 
just  mentioned. 

Should  one  of  the  lines  specified  in  this  paragraph  from  a to  g 
fail  of  construction,  then  the  company  is  released  from  the  single 
payment  alloted  to  the  line  in  question. 


Section  4. 

The  company  is  under  obligation  to  begin  work  upon,  complete, 
and  put  into  operation  those  portions  of  the  line  described  in  Sec- 
tion 1,  letter  a,  lying  between  Strom  street  and  Pringen  Allee 
(corner  of  Badstrasse)  and  from  Billow  street  to  Hasenheide,  as 
well  as  the  lines  in  Section  1,  letters  d and  e (Jannowitz  bridge  to 
Alexander  square,  and  Molkenmarkt  to  Spittelmarkt),  immediately 
upon  approval  of  the  respective  authorities,  for  the  bestowal  of 
which  it  is  to  apply  immediately  upon  the  signing  of  this  con- 
tract. 

The  company  must  have  the  rails  on  the  distance  from  Biilow 
street,  corner  of  Mannstein,  to  York  street,  corner  of  Horn,  com- 
pleted at  the  latest  synchronously  with  the  projected  work  of  regu- 


V22 


laling  these  streets  to  be  undertaken  by  the  mtinicipality,  to  the 
extent  to  which  it  (the  company)  shall  obtain  for  this  purpose  the 
special  permission  of  the  respective  authorities,  in  case  the  grant 
for  the  distance  from  Biilow  street  to  Hasenhaide  should  up  to 
that  time  not  have  been  bestowed* 

Of  the  line  described  in  Section  1 , letter  b,  the  company  is  not 
obliged  to  build  the  section  between  the  Connecting  Railway  to  the 
cemeteries  in  Weissensee  until  as  soon  after  December  31,  1888, 
as  the  magistrate  may  require* 

As  far  as  this  line  lies  outside  of  the  city  proper,  the  company  is 
not  obliged  to  construct  it  before  the  proper  authorities  have  granted 
it  a license  for  such  construction  under  conditions  which  are  at 
once  deemed  acceptable  by  the  company,  or*  in  the  contrary  case, 
under  such  conditions  as  may  be  deemed  acceptable  by  the  board 
of  referees  for  which  provision  is  made  in  Section  20  of  the  “ Gen- 
eral Conditions  ” of  the  main  agreement. 

All  the  other  lines  outside  of  these  distances  the  company  must 
construct  and  put  into  operation  by  Dec.  31,  1888  ; as  regards  the 
line  specified  in  Section  1,  however,  the  compan}*  is  released  from 
this  obligation  in  case  a widening  of  Konig  street  between  Burg 
street  and  Spandauer  street  is  required  by  the  proper  authorities. 


Section  5. 

The  duration  of  the  franchise  of  the  lines  at  present  operated 
by  the  Great  Berlin  Horse-Railwa}"  Stock  Company,  whether  on 
its  own  account  or  for  others,  as  well  as  all  lines  granted  before 
and  by  this  agreement,  and  all  such  grants  as  may  be  made  up  to 
Dec.  31,  1889,  is  fixed  for  Dec.  31,  1911. 


Section  6. 

So  far  as  the  Sections  1 to  5 do  not  otherwise  specify,  all  the 
conditions  of  general  purport  accepted  b}'  the  contra-cting  parties 
remain  unchanged ; this  holds  good  particularly  for  the  tax  speci- 
fied in  Sections  1 and  2 of  the  main  agreement,  and  for  the  paving 
rental  defined  in  Section  6 of  the  same  agreement,  as  well  as  in 
the  supplementary  agreement  of  May  3 and  June  13,  1883,  re- 
spectively. 


123 


Section  7, 


The  stamp  dues  for  both  copies  of  this  agreement  are  borne  by 
the  company. 


Berlin,  Nov.  6,  1884. 

Great  Berlin  Horse-Railw^ay  Stock  Company. 


Signed. 


DITTMANN, 

VON  KUHLEWEIN. 


Berlin,  Nov.  17,  1884. 
Magistrature  of  this  Royal  Capital  and  Residence  City. 
Signed. 

VON  FORCKENBECK, 
Dr.  WEBER. 


The  general  conditions  of  the  main  agreement  are  changed  in 
Sections  18  and  19  ; tliese  paragraphs,  according  to  the  new  agree- 
ment, read  as  follows  : — ^ 

Expiration  of  Franchise. 

Section  18. 

The  municipality  of  Berlin  is  released  from  all  obligations 
arising  out  of  a franchise  conferred  b}'  it,  if  the  contracting  party 
does  not  succeed  in  obtaining  licenses  from  the  commercial,  re- 
spectively police,  authorities  within  three  years  after  the  grant  of 
the  special  franchise. 

If  the  contracting  party  to  whom  locations  of  horse-railwa}"  lines 
is  granted  delays  in  applying  for  a license  or  beginning  their 
construction,  then  the  magistrate  is  entitled  to  call  upon  him  to 
apply  within  a fixed  period  to  the  municipality  and  other  authorities 
concerned  for  permission  to  construct  the  line. 

If  the  contracting  party  lets  this  period  pass  by,  or  if  he,  after 
obtaining  permission  from  all  authorities  concerned,  fails  to  pro- 
ceed to  construction  within  a period  also  to  be  fixed  by  the  magis- 


124 


trate,  then  the  magistrate  has  the  right,  either  to  declare  the  rights 
springing  from  the  agreement  concerning  this  line  as  forfeited,  or 
himself  to  obtain  the  franchise  in  the  name  of  the  contracting 
party,  and  to  build  and  operate  the  line,  or  have  it  built  and 
operated,  according  to  the  provisions  of  the  agreement,  at  the 
expense  of  the  contracting  party. 


Transferal  of  the  Same  to  Other  Persons. 

Section  19. 

The  contracting  party  may  neither  cede  the  rights  granted  him 
to  a third  party,  nor  make  over  to  such  a one  their  exercise, 
neither  may  he  on  his  part  acquire  the  rights  granted  any  other 
contractor  for  urban  railways,  nor  undertake  their  exercise  without 
first  obtaining  the  consent  thereto  of  the  municipal  authorities. 

It  is  therefore  not  permitted  the  contracting  party  to  allow  any 
other  contractor  the  use  of  his  present  or  future  plants  for  the 
operation  of  a street-railway,  without  obtaining  the  consent  of  the 
magistrate  thereto. 

Neither  may  he  without  consent  of  the  magistrate  lay  rails  in 
streets,  portions  of  streets  or  squares,  within  the  limits  of  Berlin 
proper,  nor  outside  these  limits,  in  such  localities  as  are  maintained 
by  the  municipality. 

Neither  is  he  entitled  without  consent  of  the  magistrate  to  begin 
operations  upon  already  constructed  plants  of  other  contractors. 

If  the  contracting  party  acts  in  contravention  of  these  provis- 
ions, or  if  he  charges  a tariff  of  fares  not  approved  b}'  the  magis- 
trate (Section  17),  then  the  magistrate  has  the  right  to  demand, 
for  each  da^^  of  such  violation,  and  separately  for  each  line  on 
which  such  violation  has  happened,  a penalty  of  100  marks. 


